The 2000 Gene Shoemaker NEO Grant Recipients

The 2000 Gene Shoemaker Near Earth Object (NEO) Grants were awarded on 15 January 2001 and totaled $33,700 (US). They were awarded to the following individuals.

• Herman Mikuz of Crni Vrh nad Idrijo, Slovenia
• David Dixon of New Mexico, United States
• Jana Ticha of Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
• Tabare Gallardo of Montevideo, Uruguay
• Cristovao Jacques of Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Herman Mikuz
Crni Vrh nad Idrijo, SLOVENIA

The Planetary Society is awarding a Gene Shoemaker NEO grant for $7,300, to Herman Mikuz with the Crni Vrh Observatory to help complete the construction of a new 60cm telescope. The Crni Vrh Observatory is a privately owned observatory in Slovenia that has had a regular observing program since 1985. In 1997, the Crni Vrh Observatory began an asteroid observation program. The Observatory has been using a 36 cm telescope with a CCD camera and filter wheel to conduct their NEO research. They are now planning to upgrade their observing program with a 60cm telescope. Donations and private funding have helped to begin the process of building the new telescope. The Shoemaker Grant will also help to fund their ambitious project.

Read updates from Mikuz: March 25, 2004 - July 25, 2005 - June 29, 2006

David Dixon
New Mexico, UNITED STATES

The Planetary Society is awarding a Gene Shoemaker NEO grant for $7,300 to David Dixon with the Jornada Observatory, an amateur observatory in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States. With his grant money, Mr. Dixon with upgrade the observatory's current CCD camera to a larger CCD chip, thus increasing the sensitivity of the telescope. In addition, the grant is providing the funds necessary to automate the observatory's dome.

Read updates from Dixon: March 20, 2001 - July 23, 2005 - March 7, 2007

Jana Ticha
Ceske Budejovice, CZECH REPUBLIC

The Planetary Society is awarding a Gene Shoemaker NEO grant for $6,000 to Jana Ticha with the Klet Observatory in the Czech Republic. The Klet Observatory is a small professional observatory that has been using a 0.57m telescope and CCD camera to do CCD astrometry of NEOs. They are now in the process of constructing a 1m telescope. The grant money will be used to finish the optical system of the new telescope.

Read updates from Ticha: March 31, 2004 - July 25, 2005 - March 4, 2007

Tabare Gallardo
Montevideo, URUGUAY

The Planetary Society is awarding a Gene Shoemaker NEO grant for $5,000 to Tabare Gallardo with the Los Molinos Astronomical Observatory, located just north of Montevideo, Uruguay. Students from a local university and area amateur astronomers use the observatory's 35cm telescope to scan the southern skies for NEOs. The observatory also has an educational program set up for middle and high school students as well as an outreach program for the general public. The observatory will use the grant money to replace their broken CCD camera and purchase a filter wheel.

Read updates from Gallardo: April 2, 2004 - August 17, 2005 - June 29, 2006

Cristovao Jacques
Belo Horizonte, BRAZIL

The Planetary Society is awarding a Gene Shoemaker NEO grant for $7,900 to Cristovao Jacques with the Wykrota Observatory near Belo Horizonte, Brazil. A local astronomy club founded this observatory in 1998. They began with a Meade LX-200 12-inch f/10 telescope for their NEO observations. They now have a 25-inch telescope, a second Meade LX-200 12-inch telescope, and a 4-inch refractor. The two Meade telescopes are dedicated entirely to NEO research. The observatory will use the grant money to purchase two CCD cameras.

The Planetary Society would like to thank the other Shoemaker NEO Grant applicants.