Asteroids Named for the Granite Mountain Hotshots
With an observatory at Apache Point, New Mexico, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) relies on the work and bravery of firefighters who protect the forests of the American Southwest. Like astronomers across the nation, we were deeply saddened by the loss of 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots from Prescott, Arizona in June 2013 during the Yarnell Hill fire.
SDSS scientists have used the survey’s imaging data to discover large numbers of asteroids in the solar system, and with the discovery comes the right to name the asteroids once their orbits have been precisely determined. The SDSS has named an asteroid for each of these 19 firefighters. Each asteroid is identified by a number and a name. Below we provide links to the basic data on each of these asteroids from a database maintained by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. We also link to a site that shows the current position of the asteroid relative to the planets of the inner solar system (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars), which is maintained by the University of West Bohemia in the Czech Republic.
Each of these asteroids carries a citation: “…was one of the 19 elite Prescott’s Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighters who lost their lives battling a blaze on a ridge in Yarnell, AZ. Crews such as the Hotshots are connected to astronomy through their brave efforts to protect forests and the observatories within them from fire threats.”
The asteroid identifications are:
Andrew Ashcraft: 208915 Andrewashcraft
Links to JPL or Minor Planet Center
Robert Caldwell: 208916 Robertcaldwell
Links to JPL or Minor Planet Center
Travis Carter: 208917 Traviscarter
Links to JPL or Minor Planet Center
Dustin DeFord: 209148 Dustindeford
Links to JPL or Minor Planet Center
Christopher MacKenzie: 209149 Chrismackenzie
Links to JPL or Minor Planet Center
Eric Marsh: 209209 Eric Marsh
Links to JPL or Minor Planet Center
Grant McKee: 210532 Grantmckee
Links to JPL or Minor Planet Center
Sean Misner: 210533 Seanmisner
Links to JPL or Minor Planet Center
Scott Norris: 210686 Scottnorris
Links to JPL or Minor Planet Center
Wade Parker: 210983 Wadeparker
Links to JPL or Minor Planet Center
John Percin: 211021 Johnpercin
Links to JPL or Minor Planet Center
Anthony Rose: 211374 Anthonyrose
Links to JPL or Minor Planet Center
Jesse Steed: 211375 Jessesteed
Links to JPL or Minor Planet Center
Joe Thurston: 211376 Joethurston
Links to JPL or Minor Planet Center
Travis Turbyfill: 211377 Travisturbyfill
Links to JPL or Minor Planet Center
William Warneke: 211378 Williamwarneke
Links to JPL or Minor Planet Center
Clayton Whitted: 211379 Claytonwhitted
Links to JPL or Minor Planet Center
Kevin Woyjeck: 211380 Kevinwoyjeck
Links to JPL or Minor Planet Center
Garret Zuppiger: 211381 Garretzuppiger
Links to JPL or Minor Planet Center
The discovery and naming of SDSS asteroids is managed by Professor Zeljko Ivezic of the University of Washington Department of Astronomy.
