Discoveries of Asteroid Moons

Peter Nosworthy has participated in several discoveries of the moons of asteroids, mostly in collaboration with Dave Gault at the nearby Kuriwa Observatory. We are located in the Blue Mountains near Sydney Australia. We mainly use our telescopes observe asteroid occultations. This is when an asteroid (a large rock in space) passes in front of a star and blocks the star's light for a few seconds. These observations help us to learn about the sizes, shapes and motion of asteroids.

We both have our own backyard observatories with large telescopes. Dave's observatory is a roll-off-roof type located at Hawkesbury Heights and is called Kuriwa Observatory. It houses a 12-inch telescope. Peter's observatory is a domed type called Hazelbrook Observatory housing an 11-inch telescope.