Junk Bond Observatory


see

The Junk Bond Observatory is located in the Sonoran Desert at Sierra Vista, Arizona, United States.
It was established by amateur astronomer David Healy in his backyard in 1996, using a Celestron 14 SCT and a 16-inch Meade LX200 telescopes in a roll-off shelter. In 2000, a 20" Ritchey-Chretien was installed, to be replaced by a 32" Ritchey in 2004.
Asteroid searches began in 1998 using a local computer network and search software. The first discovery at the observatory was made by Jeff Medkeff in June 1999. It was named 38203 Sanner after Glen Sanner also a member of the Huachuca Astronomy Club.
As of November 2016, a total of 272 numbered minor planets have been discovered at the observatory, using a 32-inch telescope. The Minor Planet Center credits 219 of these discoveries to David Healy and/or Jeff Medkeff. The discovery of the remaining 53 numbered minor planets is credited directly to the observatory .
Until his death in 2011, David Healy was a frequent contributor of follow-up observations to objects on the Near Earth Asteroid Confirmation Page, surveyed for asteroids netting approximately four new discoveries per month as of January 2007, performed discovery and confirmation photometry of extrasolar planet transits, and performed photometry of cataclysmic variable stars and active galactic nuclei. The telescope operated robotically, unattended for most of the night, controlled by software by Bob Denny and Jeff Medkeff.
JBO continues in nightly use searching for extrasolar planets transits under the supervision of the Spectrashift.com team.

List of discovered minor planets

The Minor Planet Center directly credits the Junk Bond Observatory with the discovery of 53 numbered minor planets during 2000–2005.
31 March 2005
28 February 2005
30 May 2005
11 June 2005
10 December 2004
28 February 2005
9 January 2005
1 April 2005
30 May 2005
16 January 2005
18 October 2003
14 December 2004
4 March 2005
3 March 2005
11 April 2005
13 December 2004
31 December 2004
7 March 2005
11 March 2005
27 September 2003

3 March 2005
29 December 2000
30 January 2001
10 December 2004
1 March 2005
3 May 2005
17 April 2005
10 December 2004
26 September 2003
23 October 2003
31 December 2004
26 September 2003
23 October 2003