Died 3 August 2011, Toronto, Canada | ||
Kimmo Albin Innanen (March 12, 1937 in Kirkland Lake, Canada - August 3, 2011 in Toronto, Canada) was a Canadian astrophysicist of Finnish descent.
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Early life and education
Kim grew up in Toronto. His first language was Finnish. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Engineering Physics (Aeronautics) with honors from the University of Toronto. In 1960 he received his master's degree in Applied Mathematics at the University of Waterloo. He completed his doctorate in 1964 at the University of Western Ontario.
Career and research
In 1966 he joined the Department of Physics (later Physics and Astronomy) at York University. His research in celestial mechanics, galactic dynamics, and more recently in solar system applications and asteroids, led to the publication of more than 100 papers. In 1990, with Seppo Mikkola, he predicted the existence of Mars Trojans, confirmed by subsequent discovery, and, in 1997, he was involved in the discovery of the Earth's first co-orbital companion asteroid, 3753 Cruithne. He served as the Dean of Science from 1986 to 1994.
Honors and awards
He received an honorary degree from the University of Turku in 1995. The asteroid (3497) Innanen was named in his honor in 1992.