Asteroid (5661) Hildebrand

This Hilda group member is named in honour of the well-known Canadian geologist Alan R. Hildebrand (b. 1955-05-11), who discovered that the Chicxulub Crater in the Yucatan region resulted from an asteroid impact that coincided with the terminal Cretaceous extinctions. His linking of a "smoking gun" to a major extinction event in geologic history provided evidence of fundamental importance to the resolution of a centuries-old debate on the demise of the dinosaurs and the occurrence of catastrophes in the earth's history. Hildebrand also has been highly supportive of the asteroid research program at the University of Victoria. JRASC

Named by the discoverer at the suggestion of J. B. Tatum. Citation provided by D. Russell.

Orbit type: Hilda

Reference: MPC 24410

Author: 
Anonymous
Name: 
Hildebrand
Number: 
5661
Designation: 
1977 PO1
Disc. Date: 
1977-08-14
Discoverer: 
Chernykh, N.S.
Disc. Place: 
Nauchnyj