Carolyn Shoemaker was an American astronomer, who discovered 32 comets and over 800 asteroids. She did not set out to be a scientist, earning degrees in history, political science, and English literature. After their children were grown, her husband, geologist Eugene Shoemaker, encouraged her to study astronomy. At age 51 Carolyn began her astronomical career, working with Eugene at Palomar Observatory looking for asteriods and comets. In 1993, working alongside Eugene and amateur astronomer David Levy, Carolyn discovered the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9. This was the first active comet observed to be orbiting a planet. In 1994 it broke into pieces and collided with Jupiter, the first direct view of a collision of Solar System objects. Carolyn received numerous honors for her astronomical contributions, including the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal, and an honorary doctorate of science from Northern Arizona University.
