Alan C. Gilmore

{{Short description|New Zealand astronomer}} {{for|other people of a similar name|Alan Gilmour (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=September 2025}} thumb|right|Gilmore in 2025 {| class="wikitable floatright" style="font-size: 0.9em;" |+ Asteroids discovered: 42<ref name="MPC-Discoverers" /> |- | ''see {{section link||List of discovered minor planets}}'' |}

'''Alan Charles Gilmore''' {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MNZM|size=85%}} (born 1944 in Greymouth, New Zealand) is a New Zealand astronomer and a discoverer of minor planets and other astronomical objects.<ref name="UC-SPARK" /><ref name="springer" />

==Career== Gilmore is credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of 41 minor planets, all but one in collaboration with his wife Pamela M. Kilmartin. Both astronomers are also active nova- and comet-hunters.

Until their retirement in 2014, Gilmore and Kilmartin worked at Mount John University Observatory (Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Canterbury), where they continue to receive observing time. He is also a member of the Organizing Committee of IAU Commission 6, which oversees the dissemination of information and the assignment of credit for astronomical discoveries. The Commission still bears the name "Astronomical Telegrams", even though telegrams are no longer used.

On 20 August 2007, Gilmore discovered his first periodic comet, P/2007 Q2.<ref>[http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/08800/08865.html ''Comet P/2007 Q2 (Gilmore)''], IAUC 8865</ref>

The Eunomia asteroid 2537 Gilmore was named in his honour,<ref name="springer" /> while his wife is honuored with the outer main-belt asteroid 3907 Kilmartin.<ref name="springer-Kilmartin" />

Gilmore talks on astronomy on the Radio New Zealand programme ''Nights' Science''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.radionz.co.nz/tags/Alan%20Gilmore | title=Alan Gilmore | publisher=Radio New Zealand | accessdate=November 29, 2017}}</ref> In May 2019, he and his wife were honoured by New Zealand Post with a stamp in its ''New Zealand Space Pioneers'' series.<ref name="NZSpacePioneers" />

In the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours, Gilmore was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to astronomy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=King's Birthday Honours List 2025 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |url=https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/publications/kings-birthday-honours-list-2025 |access-date=28 September 2025 |date=2 June 2025}}</ref>

== List of discovered minor planets == {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 89%; float: left; width: 24em; margin-right: 1em; line-height: 1.6em !important;" |- | 2434 Bateson || 27 May 981 |- | 3087 Beatrice Tinsley || 30 August 1981 |- | 3152 Jones || 7 June 1983 |- | 3305 Ceadams || 21 May 1985 |- | 3400 Aotearoa || 2 April 1981 |- | 3521 Comrie || 26 June 1982 |- | 3563 Canterbury || 23 March 1985 |- | 3810 Aoraki || 20 February1985 |- | 4154 Rumsey || 10 July 1985 |- | 4243 Nankivell || 4 April 1981 |- | 4248 Ranald || 23 April 1984 |- | 4409 Kissling || 30 June 1989 |- | 4819 Gifford || 24 May 1985 |- | 4837 Bickerton || 30 June 1989 |- | 5207 Hearnshaw || 15 April 1988 |} {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 89%; float: left; width: 24em; margin-right: 1em; line-height: 1.6em !important;" |- | 5251 Bradwood || 18 May 1985 |- | 5311 Rutherford || 3 April 1981 |- | 5718 Roykerr || 4 August 1983 |- | 5763 Williamtobin || 23 June 1982 |- | {{mpl|(5818) 1989 RC|1}} || 5 September 1989 |- | (5898) 1985 KE || 23 May 1985 |- | {{mpl|(5906) 1989 SN|5}} || 24 September 1989 |- | {{mpl|(6034) 1987 JA}} || 5 May 1987 |- | {{mpl|(6142) 1993 FP}} || 23 March 1993 |- | {{mp|(7432) 1993 HL|5}} || 23 April 1993 |- | {{mp|(8481) 1988 LH}} || 14 June 1988 |- | {{mp|(8884) 1994 CM|2}} || 12 February 1994 |- | {{mpl|(9018) 1987 JG}} || 5 May 1987 |- | {{mp|(9750) 1989 NE|1}} || 8 July 1989 |- | {{mp|(11080) 1993 FO}} || 23 March 1993 |} {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 89%; float: left; width: 24em; margin-right: 1em; line-height: 1.6em !important;" |- | {{mp|(13510) 1989 OL}} || 29 July 1989 |- | {{mp|(13511) 1989 RD|1}} || 5 September 1989 |- | {{mp|(13552) 1992 GA}} || 4 April 1992 |- | {{mp|(15712) 1989 RN|2}} || 1 September 1989 |- | {{mp|(18340) 1989 OM}} || 29 July 1989 |- | {{mp|(21130) 1993 FN}} || 23 March 1993 |- | {{mp|(30945) 1994 GW|9}} || 14 April 1994 |- | {{mp|(48501) 1993 FM}} || 23 March 1993 |- | {{mp|(58158) 1989 RA}} || 1 September 1989 |- | {{mp|(65718) 1993 FL}} || 23 March 1993 |- | {{mp|(214416) 2005 PK}} {{ref label|codisc|Z|}}|| 2 August 2005 |- | {{mp|(422979) 2003 PX|10}} || 4 August 2003 |- ! colspan=2 style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left; padding: 4px 12px;" | {{note label|codisc|z|}} ''not'' co-discovered with P. M. Kilmartin |} {{clear}}

== See also == * Gary Hug * Miguel Itzigsohn

== References == <references>

<ref name="springer">{{cite book |title = Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (2537) Gilmore |last = Schmadel | first = Lutz D. |publisher = Springer Berlin Heidelberg |page = 207 |date = 2007 |isbn = 978-3-540-00238-3 |doi = 10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_2538 |chapter = (2537) Gilmore }}</ref>

<ref name="MPC-Discoverers">{{cite web |title = Minor Planet Discoverers (by number) |work = Minor Planet Center |url = https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/MPDiscsNum.html |date = 20 June 2016 |accessdate = 12 August 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="springer-Kilmartin">{{cite book |title = Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (3907) Kilmartin |last = Schmadel | first = Lutz D. |publisher = Springer Berlin Heidelberg |page = 332 |date = 2007 |isbn = 978-3-540-00238-3 |doi = 10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_3896 |chapter = (3907) Kilmartin }}</ref>

<ref name="UC-SPARK">{{cite web |title = Professor Alan Gilmore at University of Canterbury |work = University of Canterbury |url = http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/spark/Researcher.aspx?researcherid=85888 |accessdate = 23 March 2017 |archive-date = 1 February 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180201072942/http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/spark/Researcher.aspx?researcherid=85888 |url-status = dead }}</ref>

<ref name="NZSpacePioneers">{{cite web |title = New Zealand Post |work = New Zealand Space Pioneers |url = https://stamps.nzpost.co.nz/new-zealand/2019/space-pioneers |accessdate = 3 June 2019}}</ref>

</references>

== External links == * [http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/spark/Researcher.aspx?researcherid=85888 Alan Gilmore] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201072942/http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/spark/Researcher.aspx?researcherid=85888 |date=1 February 2018 }}, UC SPARK - University of Canterbury

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilmore, Alan C.}} Category:20th-century New Zealand astronomers Category:21st-century New Zealand astronomers Category:Discoverers of asteroids Category:Discoverers of comets * Category:Living people Category:1944 births Category:Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit Category:People from Greymouth