Yuji Hyakutake

Yuji Hyakutake (百武 裕司 Hyakutake Yūji, July 7, 1950, Shimabara, Nagasaki – April 10, 2002, Kagoshima) was a Japanese amateur astronomer who discovered Comet C/1996 B2, also known as Comet Hyakutake on January 31, 1996 while using 25×150 binoculars.

In 1994, he moved to Kagoshima, Japan in order to find comets. His first discovery was Comet C/1995 Y1, on December 26, 1995.[1]

Hyakutake discovered C/1996 B2 while looking for C/1995 Y1, a comet he had discovered a few weeks before.[2][3]

The media has stated that Hyakutake became interested in astronomy after seeing Comet Ikeya-Seki in 1965.

He died in Kokubu, Kagoshima, in 2002 at age 51 of an aneurysm which had led to internal bleeding.[4]

Asteroid 7291 Hyakutake is named after him.

References

  1. Burnham, Robert. Comet Hale-Bopp: Find and Enjoy the Great Comet, pages 51-52, Cambridge University Press, Jan 28, 1997, ISBN 0521586364
  2. Ferris, Timothy. Seeing in the Dark: How Amateur Astronomers Are Discovering the Wonder, page 152, Simon and Schuster, Dec 18, 2012.
  3. Levy, David. Comets: Creators And Destroyers, Simon and Schuster, Dec 11, 2012
  4. International Comet Quarterly, Volumes 23-24, page 236, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Appalachian State University.

External links


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