Eugene Merle Shoemaker of Flagstaff, Ariz., distinguished astronomer and comet specialist, died July 18, 1987, in an automobile accident near Alice Springs, Australia. He was 69. His wife and close collaborator in astronomical research for decades suffered broken bones and was hospitalized. Their most famous joint discovery occurred Mar. 23, 1993, when with their friend and colleague, David Levy, they found a new streak on one of their plates. This was the first recognized evidence of the comet Shoemaker-Levy, a visitor from outside the solar system. In transiting Jupiter it was ripped into several fragments that bombarded the surface of Jupiter for four days, July 16-20, 1987, a spectacular astronomical performance. With Dr. Thomas Gehrels, Eugene predicted such a bombardment of earth is a distinct possibility.
Eugene earned his bachelor's at California Institute of Technology in 1947. A year later he joined the U.S. Geological Survey and served there until his retirement in 1993. He pursued graduate studies simultaneously and earned a master's from Princeton in 1954 and a doctorate in 1960, both in geological and geophysical sciences. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn, two daughters, and a son. The Shoemaker Team (Dr. & Mrs.) is credited with the discovery of 32 comets and 1,125 asteroids. These astronomical entities were named after the Shoemaker offspring and their spouses.
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