Takao Kobayashi

Asteroids discovered: 2341 Only a few representative items shown…
4807 Noboru	January 10, 1991
5924 Teruo	February 7, 1994
6275 Kiryu	November 14, 1993
6276 Kurohone	January 1, 1994
6346 Syukumeguri	January 6, 1995
6414 Mizunuma	October 24, 1993
6418 Hanamigahara	December 8, 1993
(126167) 2002 AL5	January 9, 2002

Takao Kobayashi (小林 隆男, Kobayashi Takao, born 1961) is an amateur Japanese astronomer who currently works at the Ōizumi Observatory.

Career

Kobayashi has discovered more than 2000 asteroids using CCD technology, including the Amor asteroids 7358 Oze, (23714) 1998 EC3, (48603) 1995 BC2 and about nine Trojan asteroids. He also discovered the periodic comet P/1997 B1 (Kobayashi), which he originally reported as an asteroid.

The asteroid 3500 Kobayashi is named after him.

His asteroid discoveries of January 16, 1994 and December 31, 1994 have been named 8883 Miyazakihayao and 10160 Totoro by Kobayashi. The names reference anime filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, and one of his creations, My Neighbor Totoro. The names have been approved by the International Astronomical Union. He is not to be confused with another Japanese astronomer, Toru Kobayashi, who co-discovered comet C/1975 N1 (Kobayashi-Berger-Milon).

P/1997 B1 Kobayashi

On January 30 and January 31, 1997, Kobayashi observed an object, P/1997 B1 Kobayashi, which was initially thought to be a minor planet and was reported to the IAU as such by Syuichi Nakano. Over the next few days, the object was observed to be in a cometary orbit. Warren B. Offutt later showed it to be a comet.

Occupation

Takao Kobayashi is currently a professor at Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering. He is also general designer of quantum yield design at Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation. He was also appointed president by MICO.