traction for rediscovering comets by using a high definition 40-inch reflecting telescope to photograph and analyze nuclei. Her groundbreaking research led to the recovery of dozens of short period comets–comets that take less than 20 years to orbit the Sun. Scientists at the time did not have methods or equipment that could easily track short period comets around the Sun, and these comets would become “lost” once the distance became too great. Roemer found these lost comets by searching the area they were predicted to be as they rounded the Sun and detected faint movement relative to surrounding stars. This was no simple feat, as predicting the position and brightness of the comet was extremely difficult, especially for comets that had been missing for extended periods of time. Roemer’s data and measurements of the brightness of these recovered comets at large distances has aided astronomers of her time and allowed for the tracking of many short period comets around the Sun until this day. In 1965, she became the acting director at the US Naval Observatory. She was then hired by the University of Arizona in Tucson as an associate professor in the lunar and planetary laboratory in 1966, and promoted to full professor by 1969. In addition, she was asked to chair the committee that would set up UA’s Department of Planetary Sciences in 1972. In 1980, while still a UA professor, she served as an astronomer at Tucson’s Steward Observatory. She served at the observatory until 1997. Roemer finally retired in 1998 but continued her research on comets and asteroids as astronomer and professor emerita. On April 8, 2016, Roemer died in Tucson, Arizona. International Astronomical Union Roemer was noted as an exemplary member of the astronomy community and served on many astronomical commissions and organizations. She held various positions throughout the years, including president and vice-president of the International Astronomical Union's Commission 6 and Commission 20. Major accomplishments In 1961, asteroid 1657 Roemera was named in Dr. Roemer’s honor. She discovered the asteroid 1930 Lucifer on October 29, 1964 and the asteroid 1983 Bok on June 9, 1975. She also co-discovered Jupiter’s moon Themisto with Charles T. Kowal in 1975. Themisto was lost soon after its discovery because it is an irregular moon of Jupiter. However, it was finally recovered in 2000. Throughout her career, Roemer detected the return of 79 periodic comets and computed the orbits