Gennadiy Vladimirovich Borisov (Russian: Генна́дий Влади́мирович Бори́сов; born in 1962 in Kramatorsk)[2] is a Russian[5] telescope maker and amateur astronomer who discovered the first-known interstellar comet, 2I/Borisov, in 2019.

Gennadiy Borisov
Born	Gennadiy Vladimirovich Borisov[1] 1962 (age 59–60)[2] Kramatorsk[2]
Occupation	Telescope maker Amateur astronomer
Employer	Sternberg Astronomical Institute
Known for	Discovery of 2I/Borisov
Spouse	Nadezhda Borisova[citation needed]
Awards	Edgar Wilson Award (two awards in 2014)
Observatory MARGO observatory
Observatory code	L51
Location	Nauchnyy, Bakhchysarai Raion, Crimea
Coordinates	44°43′35″N 34°0′45″E
Altitude	574 m (1,883 ft)
Established	2013[3]
Telescopes
GENON 0.192 m (f/1.54)[1] GENON 0.192 m (f/1.54) GENON Max 0.300 m (f/1.5)[1] GENON Max 0.300 m (f/1.5) Unnamed telescope 0.65 m

Work

Borisov works as an engineer at the Crimean Astronomical Station [ru][Note 1] of the Sternberg Astronomical Institute of Moscow State University.[6][7] There he maintains the telescopes, but does not make observations himself. He also works with Astronomicheskiy Nauchnyy Tsentr JSC, creating experimental telescopes in collaboration with Roscosmos.[8]

Borisov pursues astronomy in his spare time at his personal observatory MARGO located in Nauchnyi, in the southern part of the Crimean peninsula. Between 2013 and 2019, he has discovered nine comets[4] and several near-Earth objects such as 2013 TV135.[6] These discoveries were made using telescopes he designed and built himself: GENON (2 comets), GENON Max (5 comets)[8][1] and the unnamed 0.65 m telescope (2 comets, including 2I/Borisov). In 2014, Borisov received two Edgar Wilson Awards for his discoveries of C/2013 N4 and C/2013 V2.[9]

Discovery of 2I/Borisov

In early 2019, Borisov completed his new 0.65-meter telescope.[10][6] On August 30, 2019, he used this telescope to discover the first known interstellar comet, 2I/Borisov, which is only the second interstellar object to have been observed.[6][11]

Borisov described his discovery thus:[12]

I observed it on August 29, but it was August 30 GMT. I saw a moving object in the frame, it moved in a direction that was slightly different from that of main asteroids.[Note 2] I measured its coordinates and consulted the Minor Planet Center database. Turned out, it was a new object. Then I measured the near-Earth object rating,[Note 3] it is calculated from various parameters, and it turned out to be 100% – in other words, dangerous. In such cases I must immediately post the parameters to the world webpage for confirmation of dangerous asteroids.[Note 4] I posted it and wrote that the object was diffuse and that it was not an asteroid, but a comet.

The discovery of 2I/Borisov by Gennadiy Borisov has been compared to the discovery of Pluto by Clyde Tombaugh.[8] Tombaugh was also an amateur astronomer who was building his own telescopes, although he discovered Pluto using Lowell Observatory's astrograph.

Views

Borisov thinks that soon amateur astronomers will no longer be able to discover new comets: "In 2016, only I discovered a comet. In 2013, there were seven of us. Every year there are less and less. There are more and more huge telescopes. Amateurs will soon have nothing left."[8]

Notes

References

External links

• A video interview with Borisov (in Russian, but subtitles can be enabled with auto-translation into English)

На других языках

[de] Gennadi Wladimirowitsch Borissow

[es] Guennadi Borisov

[fr] Guennadi Borissov

[it] Hennadij Borisov

[ru] Борисов, Геннадий Владимирович