Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9

Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9[edit]
In 1993, he co-discovered Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 using the 18-inch Schmidt camera at Palomar

Observatory. This comet was unique in that it provided the first opportunity to observe the planetary
impact of a comet. Shoemaker–Levy 9 collided with Jupiter in July 1994. The resulting impact
caused a massive "scar" on the face of Jupiter.
Death[edit]
Shoemaker spent much of his later years searching for and finding several previously unnoticed or
undiscovered impact craters around the world. He died on July 18, 1997 during one such expedition
in a head-on car collision on the remote Tanami Track, a few hundred kilometers northwest of Alice
Springs, Australia. Shoemaker's wife Carolyn was severely injured in the crash. [15][16][17][5]
On July 31, 1999, some of his ashes were carried to the Moon by the Lunar Prospector space probe
in a capsule designed by Carolyn Porco.[18][19] He is the only person whose remains have been placed
on any celestial body outside Earth.[20] The brass foil wrapping of Shoemaker's memorial capsule is
inscribed with images of Comet Hale–Bopp ("the last comet that the Shoemakers observed
together"),[19] the Barringer Meteor Crater, and a quotation from Shakespeare's Romeo and
Juliet reading
And, when he shall die
Take him and cut him out in little stars
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun.[18][21]
The fatal crash happened when Hale-Bopp was still visible to the naked eye, having passed
perihelion and having moved into the southern celestial hemisphere.
In 2020 Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish released a song, Shoemaker, on the
album Human. :II: Nature., as a tribute to Eugene's work.
Awards and tributes[edit]

Shoemaker received a large number of awards for his professional work. According to the obituary
published by the USGS Astrogeology Science Center, these included:[1]
 Doctorate of Science, Arizona State College, Flagstaff, 1965.

 Wetherill Medal of the Franklin Institute, co-recipient with E.C.T. Chao, 1965.
 Arthur S. Flemming Award, 1966. Doctorate of Science, Temple University, 1967.
 NASA Medal for Scientific Achievement, 1967.
 U.S. Department of the Interior Honor Award for Meritorious Service, 1973.
 Member, U.S. National Academy of Sciences, 1980.
 U.S. Department of the Interior Distinguished Service Award, 1980.
 Arthur L. Day Medal of the Geological Society of America, 1982.
 G.K. Gilbert Award of the Geological Society of America, 1983.
 Rieser Kulturpreis, co-recipient with E.C.T. Chao and Richard Dehm, 1983.
 Honorary Doctorate of Science, University of Arizona, 1984.
 Barringer Award of the Meteoritical Society, 1984.
 Kuiper Prize of the American Astronomical Society, Division for Planetary Sciences, 1984.
 Leonard Medal of the Meteoritical Society, 1985.
 Distinguished Alumni Award of the California Institute of Technology, 1986.
 Rittenhouse Medal of the Rittenhouse Astronomical Society, co-recipient with C.S.
Shoemaker, 1988.
 U.S. National Medal of Science, 1992.
 Whipple Award, American Geophysical Union, 1993.
 Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1993.
 AIAA Space Science Award, 1996.
 NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal, 1996.
 Bowie Medal, American Geophysical Union, 1996.
 Special Award, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 1997.
 Shoemaker Award, Texas Section of the American Institute of Professional Geologists,
awarded posthumously, 1997.
On July 24, 1997, a memorial for Shoemaker and Jurgen Rahe was presented in the U.S. House of
Representatives by California representative George E. Brown, Jr. The memorial was published in
the Congressional Record. The memorial credited Shoemaker with being either the discoverer or co-
discoverer of 820 asteroids and comets during his career. [c] [22]
A ring-like topographic feature in Western Australia, an astrobleme previously named the "Teague
ring" was renamed "Shoemaker Crater" in honor of Shoemaker. The Near Earth Asteroid
Rendezvous space probe was renamed "NEAR Shoemaker" in his honor. It arrived at asteroid 433
Eros in February 2000, and landed on the asteroid after a year of orbital study. He was previously
honored with the asteroid 2074 Shoemaker, discovered and named by his colleague, Eleanor F.
Helin.[23]
In their 2020 album, Human. :II: Nature., Finnish metal band Nightwish pays tribute to Shoemaker in
the song "Shoemaker". Composer Tuomas Holopainen says he was inspired by his biography,
which moved the entire band to tears. There is a spoken part in the song where Johanna Kurkela,
Holopainen's wife, reads the quotation from Romeo and Juliet that was inscribed in Shoemaker's
capsule. The official lyric video[24] shows images of the Earth and Moon. The song received
widespread acclaim.

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Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9[edit]

In 1993, he co-discovered Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 using the 18-inch Schmidt camera at Palomar

Awards and tributes[edit]

 Doctorate of Science, Arizona State College, Flagstaff, 1965.

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