Asteroid (5965) Meisel's orbit (Image via the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Small-Body Database Lookup).
An asteroid has been named after David Meisel, distinguished professor emeritus of physics and astronomy at SUNY Geneseo. Meisel passed away in August.
“His leadership built communities that continue to thrive today. His research left a lasting mark,” said Carl Hergenrother, executive director of the American Meteor Society. “I’m happy to share that asteroid (5965) 1990 SV15 is now officially named (5965) Meisel.”
Asteroid naming follows a system established by the International Astronomical Union. (5965) Meisel is located in the main belt asteroid field between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It was first observed in 1954, then again in 1986, before being officially discovered on September 16, 1990.
“This honor reflects the many contributions Dr. Meisel made to the field of astronomy,” says Savi Iyer, professor and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. “Dr. Meisel established the astronomy curriculum at Geneseo, one that started as large general education astronomy sections that thousands of Geneseo students took over decades and led to the recently established astrophysics program. The department owes its reputation for academic rigor and strength to Dr. Meisel as among the early founders of the department.”
Meisel, who earned a PhD in astronomy from The Ohio State University, taught physics and astronomy at Geneseo from 1970 until his retirement in 2005. He was a senior associate at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, a fellow of both the American Astronomical Society and the Royal Astronomical Society, and the executive director of the American Meteor Society, a position he held for 50 years, from 1973 until 2023. Meisel was a respected researcher and was widely published in professional journals.
Learn more about SUNY Geneseo’s programs in physics and astrophysics.