Discovered by Schelte J. Bus Alternative names 1981 EQ19 Aphelion 2.8214 AU (422.08 Gm) Discovered 2 March 1981 Orbits Sun Discovery site Siding Spring Observatory MPC designation 3529 | Discovery date 2 March 1981 Observation arc 22591 days (61.85 yr) Perihelion 1.9417 AU (290.47 Gm) Absolute magnitude 14.7 Discoverer Schelte J. Bus Asteroid group Asteroid belt | |
3529 Dowling is a main belt asteroid discovered in March 1981 in the course of the UK Schmidt-Caltech Asteroid Survey, and originally designated as "1981 EQ."
In 1996, the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union announced the naming of "3529 Dowling" for Dr. Timothy E. Dowling, assistant professor of Planetary Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The accompanying citation was:
"Dowling – An expert in the dynamics of the atmospheres of the giant planets, he determined a relationship between potential vorticity and the zonal wind on Jupiter and developed explicit planetary isentropic-coordinate models for Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. He is also a dedicated teacher of planetary science at the undergraduate and graduate levels."