Stephen P. Synnott facts for kids
Stephen P. Synnott is an American scientist who studies space. He works at a special place called JPL (which stands for Jet Propulsion Laboratory). He is an expert in how spacecraft use cameras to find their way in space.
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Stephen P. Synnott: A Space Explorer
Who is Stephen P. Synnott?
Stephen P. Synnott was born in 1946. He is an astronomer, which means he studies stars, planets, and space. He works for JPL, a big research center that builds and operates robotic spacecraft for NASA. He was an important scientist for the Voyager program, which sent two spacecraft far into our Solar System. His job involved using special camera tricks to guide these spacecraft.
Discovering New Moons
One of Stephen Synnott's most exciting achievements is finding several new natural satellites. Natural satellites are also known as moons. He discovered these moons orbiting the giant planets in the outer part of our Solar System. Using images from the Voyager spacecraft, he found moons like Metis, Puck, Cressida, Thebe, and Proteus. He also helped confirm the existence of Larissa. These discoveries helped us learn more about the planets and their many moons.
Honored in Space
Because of his important work, a small space rock was named after him. This space rock is called a minor planet. The minor planet 6154 Stevesynnott was discovered in 1990 by another astronomer, Henry E. Holt. It was officially named in Stephen Synnott's honor in 1996. This is a special way to recognize scientists who make big contributions to our understanding of space.
