Asteroid named after Uppsala physicist
An asteroid named 15308 Ulfdanielsson is currently orbiting in our solar system. Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt.
Ulf Danielsson, Professor of Theoretical Physics, has recently had an asteroid named after him. The celestial body has been designated 15308 Ulfdanielsson by the International Astronomical Union.
The registration of minor planets, comets, and other objects in our solar system is handled by the Minor Planet Center at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Massachusetts, USA. Initially, the asteroid is given only a provisional designation indicating the time of its discovery. Once its orbit around the sun has been determined by astronomers, the asteroid receives a permanent number and is often given a name.
This year, ten asteroids have been named after Swedes, with the Uppsala professor being one of them. For Ulf Danielsson, the naming feels almost as surprising as it is an honor.
Have you been given any explanation as to why this particular asteroid was chosen for you?
“No, I think it’s just a coincidence which one it happens to be!”
What kind of celestial body now bears your name?
“It’s a small asteroid, perhaps 3 km in diameter, orbiting in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.”
The ten asteroids named after Swedes were observed between 1992 and 1993 as part of a collaboration between Uppsala University’s Astronomical Observatory and the ESO Survey of Asteroids and Comets (UESAC). Researchers from Uppsala led and analyzed the project based on data from sources including the La Silla Observatory in Chile. Asteroid 15308 Ulfdanielsson was discovered on March 17, 1993, by UESAC.
How do you go about spotting 15308 Ulfdanielsson in the night sky?
“It’s probably very difficult. You need a powerful telescope to see it. However, it might be possible to photograph it if you have the right equipment when it’s closest to Earth. Not exactly easy, but I hope to be able to do it sometime in the future!”
Anneli Björkman