You have full access to this open access chapter, Download reference work entry PDF
1991 GB2. Discovered 1991 Apr. 15 by C. S. Shoemaker and E. M. Shoemaker and D. H. Levy at Palomar.
Named to commemorate the centennial of the discovery of x-rays by the German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen {1845–1923} in November 1895. His first x-ray of a human being was of his wife’s hand. Roentgen’s research revolutionized medicine by providing a diagnostic tool still unrivaled in accuracy and simplicity. X-rays quickly became an indispensable part of patient care. Early in 1896 x-ray therapy came into being and has remained a standard treatment for cancer. This research has spread into many fields, especially astronomy, where x-rays provide a unique window on the universe. (M 27330)
Citation prepared by D. Patton, T. Hunter and D. Levy.
Roentgen was the first physicist who received the Nobel Prize in physics in 1901.
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2003 Springer-Verlag
About this entry
Cite this entry
(2003). (6401) Roentgen. In: Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_5844
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_5844
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-00238-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-29925-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive