No, I'm sorry, that's not it. The "first" part of the question doesn't necessarily have to do with the nature of the asteroid, though it's "funny-looking" quality does.

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Sunset

Die Sonne scheidet hinter dem Gebirge. In alle Täler steigt der Abend nieder
mit seinen Schatten, die voll Kühlung sind.

Wilson-Harrington is an asteroid (well at least it has an asteroid designation) but my next try is definately an asteroid: 4769 Castalia ... the first asteroid to be "directly" imaged from the Earth's surface and the first bifurcated asteroid to be observed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4769_Castalia

...umm yes, that's it, but did you figure that out without looking?

BTW, I meant a true-blue asteroid...none of this wishy-washy dual-designation stuff.

OK, it's your turn again, IMO, but please don't make the question so hard for everybody!

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Sunset

Die Sonne scheidet hinter dem Gebirge. In alle Täler steigt der Abend nieder
mit seinen Schatten, die voll Kühlung sind.

Well I had to look to find the specific details but I guessed that it would be the first "peanut" asteroid to be confirmed ... just did not recall the designation.

Thanks for coming up with a good "women in astronomy" question ... I had pretty much run out of them. I will now try to think of another one that's not too hard.

The "first" part was that it was directly imaged, yes.
Umm, excuse me?? Run out of "women in astronomy" questions?? Oh, I could think up a lot more! [jovial harassment to male astronomer]

OK....I've said enough today...we await your next question, IMO.

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Sunset

Die Sonne scheidet hinter dem Gebirge. In alle Täler steigt der Abend nieder
mit seinen Schatten, die voll Kühlung sind.

This should be simple ...
This woman has been a part of missions to every planet in the solar system ... and indirectly involved in a mission "where no one (or no man) has gone before". Tell us about her.

Perhaps you dont recall that I have posted at least a dozen "women in astronomy" questions over the last few years here (and in the preceeding forum). I could post another dozen but they would probably be too hard for this list.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to jump the gun and take your comment the wrong way. Thank you for promoting women in astronomy.

To repeat IMO's question still up for grabs:

This should be simple ...
This woman has been a part of missions to every planet in the solar system ... and indirectly involved in a mission "where no one (or no man) has gone before". Tell us about her.

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Sunset

Die Sonne scheidet hinter dem Gebirge. In alle Täler steigt der Abend nieder
mit seinen Schatten, die voll Kühlung sind.

surely someone can answer this ...

I didn't want to try answering, because I didn't want to appear to be monopolizing the thread, but I'm disappointed that no one has tried. I'm disappointed for you that no one has tried.

Before I Google to death, can you give a hint...I'm not sure if you are meaning someone of the Ocampo or Julie Webster variety. Where was this woman born? Why should this be simple? I see Pluto as "where no one has gone before." Help.

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Sunset

Die Sonne scheidet hinter dem Gebirge. In alle Täler steigt der Abend nieder
mit seinen Schatten, die voll Kühlung sind.

Previous post has a major hint. And Pluto is not a planet.
I don't know where she was born but she was raised in OK.

OK.....................

Sorry I asked. [runs to a warmer thread]

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Sunset

Die Sonne scheidet hinter dem Gebirge. In alle Täler steigt der Abend nieder
mit seinen Schatten, die voll Kühlung sind.

Donna Shirley? [Assuming your hint was a pun. ]

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Lighten up! This is a stellar board! Author: duh.

"The Sun, with all the planets revolving around it, and depending on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as though it had nothing else in the universe to do..." Author: Galileo supposedly.

Wait ... dont run off ... this should be pretty easy ... she worked at about the only place you could have worked on missions to all the planets.

Of course ... after retiring from JPL she became director of the SF Museum in Seattle (where many Star Trek items are on display). I met her during my two summers at JPL while she was director of the Mars programs.

But this is not ATM

That's cool!

How about a true dumb question [from me again] this time?

Looking at the following picture (per Link below), tell me...

Who is he? [This alone should qualify as the dumbest question. ]

And...

What is humorous about the image, given the person in it?

image here.

[Another similar image tickled me when I saw it and who it was. Probably just a mood moment, though.]

[Added: Ok, now that I've read the story - worth reading, too, the obvious humor is not what I seek.]

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Lighten up! This is a stellar board! Author: duh.

"The Sun, with all the planets revolving around it, and depending on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as though it had nothing else in the universe to do..." Author: Galileo supposedly.

It's Wolfgang Pauli,

I'm assuming that the camera still worked after the ball hit it (since there is a picture), but this is a violation of the Pauli Effect, equipment always breaks when he is around . Maybe the lens broke.

Well, you got the person, Pauli, correct.

Unfortunately, the image I originally saw could not be found to use as a link - it was in a book about Einstein. The image you see complicates the story a little because of the humorous flying ball. [The ball helps the idea, too, but don't think specifically of the result, or cause, of any action.]

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Lighten up! This is a stellar board! Author: duh.

"The Sun, with all the planets revolving around it, and depending on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as though it had nothing else in the universe to do..." Author: Galileo supposedly.