David Howard (Doveed) Levy (born May 22, 1948) is a Canadian-American amateur astronomer, science writer, and discoverer of comets and minor planets. He is best known for co-discovering Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 in 1993, which collided with Jupiter in 1994 in the first observed planetary-scale impact in the Solar System.

Early life and education

Levy was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1948. He developed an interest in astronomy at an early age but initially pursued literary studies, earning a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in English literature from Acadia University and Queen's University at Kingston, respectively.

On February 28, 2011, Levy was awarded a Ph.D. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for his thesis "The Sky in Early Modern English Literature: A Study of Allusions to Celestial Events in Elizabethan and Jacobean Writing, 1572–1620."

Career

Astronomy

Levy has discovered or co-discovered 23 comets, either independently or in collaboration with Gene and Carolyn Shoemaker. He co-discovered the first Mars Trojan asteroid, 5261 Eureka, with Henry E. Holt in June 1990. In total, he has been credited with the discovery of 61 minor planets.

Starting in 2015, Levy began donating his observing logs—kept continuously since 1956—his personal journals dating from 1958, and his comet search records since 1965 to the Linda Hall Library of Science in Kansas City. The observing records are also available online through the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

Levy is President of the National Sharing the Sky Foundation and a Master of Astronomy with the DeTao Masters Academy (DTMA).

Writing

Levy has authored 34 books, predominantly on astronomical subjects. Notable works include The Quest for Comets, a biography of Pluto-discoverer Clyde Tombaugh (2006), and Shoemaker by Levy, a tribute to Gene Shoemaker. He has contributed articles regularly to Sky & Telescope, Parade, Sky News, and Astronomy. His autobiography, A Nightwatchman's Journey: The Road Not Taken, was published in June 2019 by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

Broadcasting

Levy and his wife Wendee hosted a weekly internet radio talk show on astronomy. The program concluded on February 3, 2011, with a planned "Final Show." Archives remain available in WMA and MP3 formats.

Personal life

Levy lives in Vail, Arizona. He was married to Wendee Esther Wallach-Levy from 1997 until her death in 2022.

Awards and honors

  • 1975 – Independent discovery of Nova Cygni 1975
  • 1980 – C.A. Chant Medal, Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
  • 1990 – G. Bruce Blair Medal
  • 1993 – Amateur Achievement Award, Astronomical Society of the Pacific
  • 1998 – News & Documentary Emmy Award, "Individual Achievement in a Craft, Writer" category, for the documentary 3 Minutes to Impact (York Films for the Discovery Channel), shared with Martyn Ives, David Taylor, and Benjamin Woolley
  • 2007 – Edgar Wilson Award, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, for comet discovery
  • 2008 – Co-designed the special edition "Comet Hunter" telescope

The minor planet 3673 Levy was named in his honor.

Discoveries

Comets

Visual discoveries

  • Comet Levy-Rudenko, 1984t, C/1984 V1, November 14, 1984
  • Comet Levy, 1987a, C/1987 A1, January 5, 1987
  • Comet Levy, 1987y, C/1987 T1, October 11, 1987
  • Comet Levy, 1988e, C/1988 F1, March 19, 1988
  • Comet Okazaki-Levy-Rudenko, 1989r, C/1989 Q1, August 25, 1989
  • Comet Levy, 1990c, C/1990 K1, May 20, 1990
  • Periodic Comet Levy, P/1991 L3, June 14, 1991
  • Comet Takamizawa-Levy, C/1994 G1, April 15, 1994
  • Periodic Comet 255P/Levy, October 2, 2006

Photographic discoveries (with Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker)

  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 1, 1990o, P/1990 V1
  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 2, 1990p, 137P/1990 UL3
  • Comet Shoemaker-Levy, 1991d, C/1991 B1
  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 3, 1991e, 129P/1991 C1
  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 4, 1991f, 118P/1991 C2
  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 5, 1991z, 145P/1991 T1
  • Comet Shoemaker-Levy, 1991a1, C/1991 T2
  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 6, 1991b1, P/1991 V1
  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 7, 1991d1, 138P/1991 V2
  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 8, 1992f, 135P/1992 G2
  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9, 1993e, D/1993 F2
  • Comet Shoemaker-Levy, 1993h, C/1993 K1
  • Comet Shoemaker-Levy, 1994d, C/1994 E2
  • Comet Jarnac, P/2010 E2 (David Levy, Wendee Levy, Tom Glinos)

Other notable astronomical discoveries

  • Nova Cygni 1975, August 30, 1975 (independent discovery)
  • Nova Cygni 1978, September 12, 1978 (independent discovery)
  • Comet Hartley-IRAS (P/1983 V1), November 30, 1983 (independent discovery)
  • Comet Shoemaker 1992y, C/1992 U1 (aided in discovery)
  • Periodic Comet Shoemaker 4, 1994k, P/1994 J3 (aided in discovery)
  • Asteroid 5261 Eureka, the first Martian Trojan asteroid, with Henry E. Holt, June 1990
  • Established the cataclysmically recurring nature of 1215-17 TV Corvi (Tombaugh's Star), August 1990

Minor planets

{| class="wikitable floatright" style="font-size: 0.9em; width: 270px;"

|+ Minor planets discovered: 61

|-

| see

|}

{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" role="presentation" style="width:100%; background:#ffffff;"

|-

! List of minor planets discovered by David Levy

|-

| align="center" |

{| class="wikitable" style="width: 30em; display:inline-table; margin:8px; text-align:left; font-size:90%"

|-

! scope="col" style="width: 13.5em;" | Name

! scope="col" style="width: 12em;" | Discovery Date

! scope="col" style="width: 4.5em;" | Listing

|-

| 5261 Eureka || 20 June 1990 ||

|-

| 5852 Nanette || 19 April 1991 ||

|-

| 6398 Timhunter || 10 February 1991 ||

|-

| 6401 Roentgen || 15 April 1991 ||

|-

| 6485 Wendeesther || 25 October 1990 ||

|-

| 6670 Wallach || 4 June 1994 ||

|-

| 6715 Sheldonmarks || 22 August 1990 ||

|-

| 6914 Becquerel || 3 April 1992 ||

|-

| 7344 Summerfield || 4 June 1992 ||

|-

| 8021 Walter || 22 October 1990 ||

|-

| 8358 Rickblakley || 4 November 1989 ||

|-

| 9070 Ensab || 23 July 1993 ||

|-

| 9083 Ramboehm || 28 November 1994 ||

|-

| 10332 Défi || 13 May 1991 ||

|-

| 10346 Triathlon || 2 April 1992 ||

|-

| 11548 Jerrylewis || 25 November 1992 ||

|-

| 11569 Virgilsmith || 27 May 1993 ||

|-

| 11911 Angel || 4 June 1992 ||

|-

| 11941 Archinal || 23 May 1993 ||

|-

| 13057 Jorgensen || 13 November 1990 ||

|-

| 13111 Papacosmas || 23 July 1993 ||

|-

| 13123 Tyson || 16 May 1994 ||

|-

| 13615 Manulis || 28 November 1994 ||

|-

| 14429 Coyne || 3 December 1991 ||

|-

| 15276 Diebel || 14 April 1991 ||

|-

| 15294 Underwood || 7 November 1991 ||

|-

| 15321 Donnadean || 13 August 1993 ||

|-

| 15779 Scottroberts || 26 July 1993 ||

|-

| 16514 Stevelia || 11 November 1990 ||

|-

| 16669 Rionuevo || 8 December 1993 ||

|-

| 17493 Wildcat || 31 December 1991 ||

|-

| 18368 Flandrau || 15 April 1991 ||

|-

| 18434 Mikesandras || 12 March 1994 ||

|}

{| class="wikitable" style="width: 30em; display:inline-table; margin:8px; text-align:left; font-size:90%"

|-

! scope="col" style="width: 13.5em;" | Name

! scope="col" style="width: 12em;" | Discovery Date

! scope="col" style="width: 4.5em;" | Listing

|-

| 19980 Barrysimon || 22 November 1989 ||

|-

| 20084 Buckmaster || 6 April 1994 ||

|-

| 22312 Kelly || 14 April 1991 ||

|-

| 22338 Janemojo || 3 June 1992 ||

|-

| 24778 Nemsu || 24 May 1993 ||

|-

| 24779 Presque Isle || 23 July 1993 ||

|-

| 27776 Cortland || 25 February 1992 ||

|-

| 27810 Davasobel || 23 July 1993 ||

|-

| 29292 Conniewalker || 24 May 1993 ||

|-

| 30840 Jackalice || 15 April 1991 ||

|-

| 30934 Bakerhansen || 16 November 1993 ||

|-

| 30935 Davasobel || 8 January 1994 ||

|-

| 32890 Schwob || 8 January 1994 ||

|-

| 32897 Curtharris || 1 August 1994 ||

|-

| 37588 Lynnecox || 15 April 1991 ||

|-

| 37601 Vicjen || 3 April 1992 ||

|-

| 43793 Mackey || 13 November 1990 ||

|-

| 117032 Davidlane || 14 May 2004 ||

|-

| 144769 Zachariassen || 19 April 2004 ||

|-

| 144907 Whitehorne || 16 December 2004 ||

|-

| 157421 Carolpercy || 8 October 2004 ||

|-

| 170909 Bobmasterson || 12 December 2004 ||

|-

| 170995 Ritajoewright || 3 March 2005 ||

|-

| 175152 Marthafarkas || 3 March 2005 ||

|-

| 245158 Thomasandrews || 13 October 2004 ||

|-

| 271763 Hebrewu || 17 September 2004 ||

|-

| 294727 Dennisritchie || 31 January 2008 ||

|-

| 300909 Kenthompson || 30 January 2008 ||

|-

| 510045 Vincematteo || 4 March 2010 ||

|-

| 518523 Bryanshumaker || 16 September 2006 ||

|-

! colspan=3 style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left; padding: 4px 12px;" | Co-discovery made with:<br /> H. E. Holt<br /> C. S. Shoemaker<br /> E. M. Shoemaker<br /> T. Glinos<br /> W. Levy

|}

|}

See also

  • Carolyn S. Shoemaker
  • Eugene Merle Shoemaker
  • List of minor planet discoverers

References

  • David Levy's Home Page