{"id":171,"date":"2019-07-17T18:17:57","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wcsu.wpengine.com\/news-archives\/asteroidnamedafterretiredwcsuprofessor\/"},"modified":"2019-07-17T18:17:57","modified_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:17:57","slug":"asteroidnamedafterretiredwcsuprofessor","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/news-archives\/asteroidnamedafterretiredwcsuprofessor\/","title":{"rendered":"2014 Asteroid named after retired WCSU professor"},"content":{"rendered":"
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DANBURY, CONN. <\/strong>\u2014 A newly discovered asteroid has been named after a longtime professor of astronomy<\/a> at Western Connecticut State University<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The asteroid is now known as 175450 Phillipklu, after Dr. Phillip Lu, who taught at Western for 29 years from 1970 to 1999. In 1992, he was named CSU Professor of Astronomy by the Connecticut State University System.<\/p>\n

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Dr. H.C. Lin, director of the National Lulin Observatory<\/a> in Taiwan, is a student of one of Lu\u2019s former students and the discoverer of the minor planet, as asteroids are called after their orbit is established. As the first person to spot the object, Lin is entitled to recommend its name to the International Astronomical Union.<\/p>\n

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Lin apparently consulted on the name with Dr. W.S. Tsay. Lu was Tsay\u2019s Ph.D. thesis adviser from 1979 to 1984 and later consulted with Tsay on the design and construction of the observatory, where Tsay was the first director.<\/p>\n

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The observatory houses 36-inch, 40-inch and 80-inch telescopes. The newly named 175450 Phillipklu, which travels an elliptical orbit that averages about 238 million miles from the sun, can be seen only with a 40-inch or larger telescope.<\/p>\n

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The minor planet was first observed in 2002, and was tracked several times through its last sighting on Oct. 1, 2014. The name was officially attached on Oct. 9, two days before Lu turned 82.<\/p>\n

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The rock orbits the sun every 3.91 years between Mars and Jupiter and is 59,604 times dimmer than the sun. <\/p>\n

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Despite its new notoriety, Lu said, \u201cYou aren\u2019t missing anything if you don\u2019t see it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Lu, who lives in Bethel, has remained active since his retirement from Western. He continues to conduct research, and he paints and writes poetry. His latest poetry collection is titled \u201cAn Abridged Portrait \u2014 Biography<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

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For more information, call the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.<\/p>\n

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Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England\u2019s best small private universities.
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