Loren C. Ball

Minor planets discovered: 112[1]
see § List of discovered minor planets

Loren C. Ball
Born1948 (age 77–78)
Watonga, Oklahoma, United States
Known forAmateur astronomer specialising in the discovery of Minor planets

Loren C. Ball (born 1948 in Watonga, Oklahoma, United States[2]) is an American amateur astronomer, who has discovered more than 100 asteroids while working at his Emerald Lane Observatory (843), built on the roof of his house on Emerald Lane, Decatur, Alabama.[3][4][5] As of 2026, he has credit for 112 numbered designations with the Minor Planet Center at Harvard for the period between 2000 and 2004. None of them were co-discoveries.[1] He is under contract with NASA through the University of Alabama in Huntsville to do outreach to school groups and organisations.[5] As of 2024, he promotes asteroid education in schools and on social media.[3]

The main-belt asteroid 16095 Lorenball, discovered by astronomers with the Catalina Sky Survey in 1999, is named after him.[3] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 8 November 2019 (M.P.C. 118219).[6]

List of discovered minor planets

34351 Decatur3 September 2000list
51599 Brittany28 April 2001list
61400 Voxandreae25 August 2000list
62701 Davidrankin7 October 2000list
(64123) 2001 TS1815 October 2001list
(65260) 2002 GE26 April 2002list
72834 Guywells25 April 2001list
73073 Jannaleuty4 April 2002list
(73196) 2002 JZ108 May 2002list
(78284) 2002 PC4311 August 2002list
(83596) 2001 SC26325 September 2001list
(88377) 2001 PK2915 August 2001list
92586 Jaxonpowell9 August 2000list
93164 Gordontelepun29 September 2000list
(93466) 2000 TO2 October 2000list
(93490) 2000 TV338 October 2000list
(94404) 2001 SO28730 September 2001list
(105272) 2000 QD2526 August 2000list
(105508) 2000 RA93 September 2000list
(106096) 2000 TQ2 October 2000list
(108917) 2001 PX1415 August 2001list
112483 Missjudy1 August 2002list
(112484) 2002 PB14 August 2002list
(112539) 2002 PB408 August 2002list
(114910) 2003 QA2924 August 2003list
115492 Watonga23 October 2003list
119195 Margaretgreer25 August 2001list
(120148) 2003 GO5112 April 2003list
(125266) 2001 VG7 November 2001list
128345 Danielbamberger15 April 2004list
(131327) 2001 HC2327 April 2001list
(131414) 2001 NB614 July 2001list
(131446) 2001 QP10024 August 2001list
(132296) 2002 GB14 April 2002list
(132298) 2002 GD26 April 2002list
(140603) 2001 UQ18 October 2001list
(140632) 2001 UQ1726 October 2001list
(140633) 2001 UR1726 October 2001list
(142155) 2002 RT286 September 2002list
(144553) 2004 FB623 March 2004list
(148772) 2001 UU220 October 2001list
(153175) 2000 UN224 October 2000list
(153757) 2001 UN21021 October 2001list
(154345) 2002 WS1829 November 2002list
(156036) 2001 SD16 September 2001list
(158330) 2001 WK218 November 2001list
(160165) 2001 UR18 October 2001list
(163363) 2002 OV1929 July 2002list
(166422) 2002 PS15 August 2002list
(166857) 2002 XE1 December 2002list
(170072) 2002 VG12814 November 2002list
(173449) 2000 QO625 August 2000list
(173875) 2001 UQ1424 October 2001list
(177191) 2003 UD1020 October 2003list
(180683) 2004 HF16 April 2004list
(182595) 2001 UH1829 October 2001list
(183379) 2002 XL447 December 2002list
(187987) 2001 RJ4312 September 2001list
(189076) 2001 HN16 April 2001list
(193801) 2001 PV1314 August 2001list
(193947) 2001 RA4615 September 2001list
(194124) 2001 SD26325 September 2001list
(195511) 2002 HV519 April 2002list
(195874) 2002 RC13 September 2002list
(203866) 2002 XF1 December 2002list
(205558) 2001 SF27327 September 2001list
(209155) 2003 UE1020 October 2003list
(213785) 2003 FZ425 March 2003list
(219382) 2000 SU8929 September 2000list
(219590) 2001 TQ1815 October 2001list
(222873) 2002 GL3 April 2002list
(237607) 2001 QQ7121 August 2001list
(239965) 2001 NC614 July 2001list
(242244) 2003 SW21728 September 2003list
(243777) 2000 SJ19 September 2000list
(247588) 2002 TW922 October 2002list
(259901) 2004 EL11 March 2004list
(264594) 2001 UM119 October 2001list
(270980) 2002 WJ1125 November 2002list
(286262) 2001 VK1712 November 2001list
(286762) 2002 HU416 April 2002list
(287059) 2002 RF14 September 2002list
(287436) 2002 XP32 December 2002list
(287622) 2003 HO1628 April 2003list
(288473) 2004 FA623 March 2004list
(297382) 2000 QC21 August 2000list
(298268) 2002 XG1 December 2002list
(298353) 2003 KU1628 May 2003list
(302625) 2002 RD14 September 2002list
(313062) 2000 SS8929 September 2000list
(317288) 2002 GR15 April 2002list
(323243) 2003 SO20123 September 2003list
(333352) 2001 UK622 October 2001list
(334264) 2001 UH622 October 2001list
(337704) 2001 UJ622 October 2001list
(337814) 2001 VG210 November 2001list
(344229) 2001 SC16 September 2001list
(344291) 2001 UQ421 October 2001list
(344455) 2002 LE4715 June 2002list
(354414) 2003 VA1 November 2003list
(357096) 2001 TR1815 October 2001list
(373481) 2000 TP2 October 2000list
(390557) 2000 UL224 October 2000list
(399394) 2001 SL28729 September 2001list
(405121) 2002 GF26 April 2002list
(415816) 2001 QT7121 August 2001list
(434064) 2001 VX7112 November 2001list
(601867) 2013 UL121 September 2002list
(629360) 2001 UR421 October 2001list
(661253) 2004 EM11 March 2004list
(720301) 2000 SK19 September 2000list
(848006) 2002 TF15029 September 2002list

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. 23 May 2016. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  2. ↑ "(115492) Watonga = 2003 UR22" (PDF). WGSBN Bulletin. 2 (7). International Astronomical Union: 12. 23 May 2022. Discovery: 2003-10-23 / L. Ball / Emerald Lane / 843. Watonga is a city (population about 5000) in Blaine County, Oklahoma, 70 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. Watonga is the county seat of Blaine County and the birthplace of the discoverer.
  3. 1 2 3 "(16095) Lorenball". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  4. ↑ "An Amateur Story – originally published in The Huntsville Times, 2001". bsasnashville.com. Archived from the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2019. (at bellatrixobservatory.com)
  5. 1 2 Montgomery, Ben (13 December 2012). "Stars falling over Alabama". Decatur Daily.
  6. ↑ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
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