Jean Mueller

Who is Jean Mueller?

Jean Mueller is an American astronomer.

Working at Palomar Observatory, she has discovered a total of 15 comets, including 7 periodic comets 120P/Mueller, 131P/Mueller, 136P/Mueller, 149P/Mueller, 173P/Mueller, 188P/LINEAR-Mueller, 190P/Mueller, and 8 non-periodic comets.

She has also discovered 10 asteroids, including the Apollo asteroids 4257 Ubasti, Kwiila, and Tukmit and the Amor asteroid 6569 Ondaatje, and is the co-discoverer of two asteroids, 4558 Janesick and 11500 Tomaiyowit.

In 1983 Jean became the first woman to operate the historic 100-inch telescope at Mt. Wilson Observatory, and was the first woman hired as a telescope operator at Palomar Observatory in 1985.

The Palomar Sky Survey II got underway in August 1985, with the first of the 14" photographic glass plates being pulled off the Palomar 48-inch Schmidt Camera. Jean Mueller was hired as the 48-inch Night Assistant in July of that year, and worked in the capacity as Observer/Telescope Operator for the duration. Jean took over 5500 photographic plates, and had the honor of setting the telescope and removing the very last plate from the historic Schmidt Camera on June 3, 2000, as well as discovering her very last supernova, 2000cm on that same night.