Named in honour of Clarence Augustus Chant (b. 1865, d. 1956), generally referred to as the "father of Canadian astronomy". A renowned teacher, Chant organized the Astronomy Department of the University of Toronto and built up the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Chant founded the RASC Observer's Handbook and edited it for half a century. He participated in five solar eclipse expeditions, the most important being the one he led to Australia in 1922 to test Einstein's prediction of the deflection of starlight by a massive body. Chant is also honoured by a lunar crater.
Orbit type: Main Belt Asteroid
Reference: MPC 12210