32 Pomona Asteroid
32 Pomona is asteroid number 32, and spans 81km in diameter. It was discovered in 1854 by a German-French polymath, named Hermann Mayer Salomon Goldschmidt. Born the son of a wealthy Jewish merchant, he made a trip to the Netherlands on family business at around 30 years of age. After visiting Dutch picture galleries, he decided to study art in Munich and ply his trade as a painter.
In 1836, Goldschmidt left for Paris to hone his craft, and by chance stumbled on a lecture by astronomer Urbain Le Verrier (discoverer of Neptune). An article published a year after his death in The Gentleman’s Magazine, and Historical Chronical, [Vol. 223, 1867], described how at 45 years of age, “suffering much from depression of spirits,…he resorted to every means and variety of occupation in order to dispel his melancholy humour”.
Listening to Le Verrier’s lecture on the phenomena of eclipses “aroused in his breast an enthusiastic admiration for astronomy, and he resolved henceforth to devote himself avec amour to the study of science, of which he had hitherto possessed but vague notions.” It seems he was intent on pursuing a branch of astronomy that would afford him the greatest opportunity to secure fame, and this was apparently the search for small planets.
It seems as if modern times have dichotomised the study of art and science, however, it was de rigueur for thinkers of yesteryear to recognise their symbiotic relationship; the best kind of art adheres to (or deliberately subverts, but nonetheless recognises) laws of geometry, physics and colour theory. Congruently, novel scientific discoveries usually require a bent for creative imagination.
In what was a prescient nod to his future endeavours, Goldschmidt funded his first 2-inch diameter telescope with proceeds from a sale of a portrait of Galileo. He has referred to this moment as the happiest event of his life, which perhaps alludes to the notion that the thrill of the journey can surpass that of the destination.
It would be remiss to dismiss the arduous nature of the work. With the inventory at his disposal, he was attempting to detect movements of a faint point of light, nestled within a multitude of stars with relatively fixed positions.
Although he was not a paid attaché to an observatory, his labour of love eventually conferred on him France’s Cross of the Legion of Honour, a gold medal from the Royal Astronomical Society of London and an annual pension of 1500 francs.
Australian astronomer, Jonathan Bradshaw [follow him at shadowchaser.com.au], recorded an unusual asteroid occultation by 32 Pomona on the 16th of August, 2008.
An occultation is an event when an object is hidden by another object that passes between it and the observer (the most commonly known example is a lunar eclipse). The two theories provided are that the asteroid is binary (two asteroids in orbit), or is a unitary asteroid with a significant concave region on its surface.
So of course, we had to track Jonathan down to get a sense of the man. He lives in Samford, Queensland and very kindly agreed to answer a few questions.
Who are you and what do you do?
By day I’m a mild-mannered data scientist – crunching numbers for good, not evil. By night I’m a self-funded research astronomer hunting the galaxy for new discoveries. My interest is in the occult, seeking objects in the sky that move and interact with each other and the things we can learn from those interactions.
Why astronomy?
It’s my favourite branch of science, I’ve loved the night sky since childhood. I feel completely at home anywhere on Earth when I’m stargazing and just like the ancient mariners, I can tell where I am on the planet just by looking up. I’m pretty keen on Earth sciences too, especially geology, but it is in the stars that I find ‘my place’.
When peering through your telescope, are you trying to observe or discover?
Always to discover, to cover new ground, to explore the unknown and to find and record events for the first time ever. It’s how science works and how humankind progresses. From ancient henge monuments to the Hubble space telescope, we stand on the shoulders of the scientist before us – it’s up to us to be part of that journey.
What does a fruitful stargazing session look like?
Quite often it looks like tired eyes in the morning after a long and fruitless evening. But just occasionally it is blood thumping excitement after a significant discovery followed by often months working with professional astronomers to have the discoveries formally documented and published to the wider community.
What did your discovery of the 32 Pomona occultation mean to you at the time, and what does it mean now?
Pomona was cool, a freak event that has demonstrated that the existing beliefs about that object are wrong and need refining. And that’s the beauty of science, when something is falsified, the community looks to find a new explanation. That’s what we are doing now, but it may take some time…
Do you feel a connection to Goldschmidt?
Very much so; he too felt the same joy in new discoveries. And he and I rub shoulders briefly in the Washington Double Star catalogue as we both are named discoverers of faint companion stars to brighter neighbours – our little place together in history.
How does your practice of astronomy influence your general disposition, and how does your disposition influence your practice?
We two are one.
How does contemplating the magnitude of the universe inform your sense of self, and the way you live your life?
It’s probably not a great idea to overthink the magnitude of the universe and one’s place in it, there is a tendency to feel small and insignificant! Instead, be the best you on the planet and fill your life with purpose, collect stamps, pick up litter, adopt a rescue animal, cure Covid. Don’t be pointless.
What makes you smile?
Making a difference.