ArticleslgStudy

astronomy

Loren C. Ball

Loren C. Ball is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Loren C. Ball rather than just read about it. In short: Loren C. Ball (born 1948 in Watonga, Oklahoma, United States) is an American amateur astronomer, who has discovered more than 100 asteroids while working at his Emerald Lane Observatory (843), built on the roof of his house on Emerald Lane, Decatur, Alabama.

Key takeaways

  • Loren C. Ball belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Loren C. Ball to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Loren C. Ball from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Loren C. Ball (born 1948 in Watonga, Oklahoma, United States) is an American amateur astronomer, who has discovered more than 100 asteroids while working at his Emerald Lane Observatory (843), built on the roof of his house on Emerald Lane, Decatur, Alabama. As of 2026, he has credit for 112 numbered designations with the Minor Planet Center at Harvard for the period between 2000 and 2004. None of them were co-discoveries. He is under contract with NASA through the University of Alabama in Huntsville to do outreach to school groups and organisations. As of 2024, he promotes asteroid education in schools and on social media. The main-belt asteroid 16095 Lorenball, discovered by astronomers with the Catalina Sky Survey in 1999, is named after him. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 8 November 2019 (M.P.C. 118219).

List of discovered minor planets

See also List of minor planet discoverers § L. Ball

References

External links Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society page on L. C. Ball

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Loren C. Ball

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Loren C. Ball claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Loren C. Ball before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Loren C. Ball ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Loren C. Ball

In research
Loren C. Ball appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Loren C. Ball in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Loren C. Ball is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1948 births, 20th-century American astronomers, 21st-century American astronomers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Loren C. Ball outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Loren C. Ball” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Loren C. Ball in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Loren C. Ball means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Loren C. Ball out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Loren C. Ball in simple terms?

Loren C. Ball (born 1948 in Watonga, Oklahoma, United States) is an American amateur astronomer, who has discovered more than 100 asteroids while working at his Emerald Lane Observatory (843), built on the roof of his house on Emerald Lane, Decatur, Alabama.

Why does Loren C. Ball matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Loren C. Ball?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Loren C. Ball.

Tags

  • 1948 births
  • 20th-century American astronomers
  • 21st-century American astronomers
  • Amateur astronomers
  • Discoverers of asteroids
  • Discoveries by Loren C. Ball
  • Living people

Keep exploring