Discovery image

{{Short description|Image of just-discovered astronomical object}} In astronomy, a '''discovery image''' is typically a drawing, film base photograph, photographic plate, or digital image in which a celestial object or phenomenon was first found. This can include planets, dwarf planets, small Solar System bodies (asteroids, comets, etc.) or features found on or near those objects such as ring systems or large craters.

For example, a moon of Saturn, Phoebe, was the first satellite to be discovered photographically by William Henry Pickering on March 17, 1899 from photographic plates that had been taken starting on August 16, 1898 at Arequipa, Peru by DeLisle Stewart.<ref>Pickering, E. C.; [http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/BHarO/0049//0000001.000.html ''Harvard College Observatory Bulletin'', '''49''' (March 17, 1899)]</ref><ref>[http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/AJ.../0020//0000013.000.html ''A New Satellite of Saturn''], Astronomical Journal, Vol. 20, No. 458 (March 23, 1899), p. 13</ref><ref name="Pickering1899">Pickering, E. C.; [http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/ApJ../0009//0000274.000.html ''A New Satellite of Saturn''], Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 9, No. 4 (April 10, 1899), pp. 274–276</ref><ref>Pickering, E. C.; [http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/AN.../0149//0000100.000.html ''A New Satellite of Saturn''], Astronomische Nachrichten, Vol. 149, No. 10 (April 29, 1899), pp. 189–192 (same as above)</ref><ref>[http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/Obs../0022//0000158.000.html ''A Ninth Satellite to Saturn''], The Observatory, Vol. 22, No. 278 (April 1899), pp. 158–159</ref>

==Examples==

<gallery> Image:Discovery Charon.jpg|1978 image of Pluto and Charon; the discovery image of Charon Image:S2004 S 3 - PIA06115.png|Discovery image of Saturn's still unconfirmed moon S/2004 S 3 Image:Io Volcanism Discovery image.jpg|Discovery image of active volcanism on Io Image:S2004s2 040601.jpg|Discovery image of Pallene Image:Mars m04 11e.jpg|Mariner crater on Mars, as viewed by Mariner 4 </gallery> {{clear}}

==See also== *Precovery

==References== {{reflist}}

==Further reading== *[https://books.google.com/books?q=%22Discovery+image%22+astronomy&btnG=Search+Books Google Book Search : "discovery image" astronomy]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Discovery Image}} Category:Astronomical imaging Category:Astronomy image articles