Tamara Smirnova facts for kids
Tamara Mikhaylovna Smirnova (born in 1935, died in 2001) was a famous Soviet and Russian astronomer. An astronomer is a scientist who studies space, stars, and planets. Tamara Smirnova was special because she discovered many minor planets and even a comet.
Discovering Space Objects
From 1966 to 1988, Smirnova worked at the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy in Leningrad. This institute is a place where scientists study how planets and other space objects move.
During her career, Tamara Smirnova found 135 different minor planets. Minor planets are small objects in our solar system that orbit the Sun, but they are not as big as regular planets. She also helped discover a special comet called 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh. She found this comet with another astronomer named Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh.
To honor her amazing work, a minor planet was named after her! This asteroid is called 5540 Smirnova. She actually discovered this asteroid herself in 1971. The Institute of Theoretical Astronomy suggested naming it after her. This was officially announced in 1995.
See also
In Spanish: Tamara Smirnova para niños
