IAU Names Asteroid 168126 "Chengbruce" after Taiwanese Entrepreneur Bruce C.H. Cheng

Taipei, Taiwan, July 8, 2008 - Bruce C.H. Cheng, founder and chairman of Delta Electronics Inc., has been a long-time supporter of energy conservation, reducing carbon emissions and caring for the earth. He now has a new partner in the stars. The Committee on Small Body Nomenclature (CSBN) of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) recently approved the name of "Chengbruce" for asteroid 168126. The asteroid was discovered by the Lulin Observatory at the National Central University and its new official name honors Cheng's efforts in pursuing environmental sustainability and green citizenship.

The asteroid "168126 Chengbruce" was discovered on April 1st, 2006 by the 40cm telescope at the NCU Lulin Observatory. It is also the first asteroid discovered by Taiwanese astronomers to be named after a Taiwanese entrepreneur. In other words, its existence has held great significance since its moment of discovery.

Bruce Cheng – Caring for the Earth, One Step at a Time

In the fall of 2005, Bruce's interest in education inspired a visit to the Mt. Morrison Lulin Observatory set 2,862m above sea level. Accompanied by former National Central University (NCU) president Chuan-sheng Liu, the 70 year-old Cheng made the 600m climb on foot and became the first Taiwanese entrepreneur to visit the observatory. Late at night Lulin is blanketed by silence while the sky above is filled with twinkling stars. For the head of an enterprise with 60,000 employees around the world, it was a humbling experience that reinforced the vastness of the universe and how insignificant human beings are.

The Lulin observatory is not only Taiwan's highest but it is also the only observatory equipped with a 100cm telescope, the largest in Taiwan. At the observatory, Cheng recalled his high school years when he arrived alone in Taiwan to further his education. Back then, what he disliked most was the long breaks, particularly the summer and winter holidays. While most other students returned home to spend their break, he often sat alone on the school's athletics field with only the stars as his companions. Through this experience, he gained a better appreciation for the value of life as well as a deep and abiding interest in the planets and the universe.

Over time, as his career and enterprise grew and prospered, Cheng made the commitment to support environmental protection and care for the earth. This he realized by not just developing more environmentally-friendly and energy-saving products but also by making these concepts a core part of everyday business operations.

Environmental protection and energy conservation have always been an important part of Delta's business mission. For its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts, Delta is devoted to reducing green house gas emissions to slow the onset of global warming. The best example of this is the company's gold-rated green factory in the Tainan Science Park in Taiwan. For many years Delta has been committed to boosting the efficiency of its products and daily operations. It has also been actively involved in the development of new energy sources. This is the same innovative and practical approach that led to NCU's discovery of a new asteroid.

Finding New Asteroids - the Lulin Sky Survey Project, NCU

NCU is a pioneer in Taiwan for discovering new asteroids. Spotting its first new asteroid in 2002, the Lulin Observatory has since discovered over 600 more. . Since March, 2006, the Lulin Sky Survey (LUSS) Project has on average found more than 15 new asteroids each month. As a result Taiwan has become one of the most active areas in the world for searching new asteroids. The new asteroids receive permanent designation after confirmation from Minor Planet Center (MPC). Asteroids with designations already confirmed internationally include 'Jhongda', 'Lulin', 'Chiayi', and 'Chengbruce'. The asteroid, Chengbruce, was discovered by Ting-Chang Yang from National Central University, Taiwan, and Quanzhi Ye from Sun Yat-sen University, China.

The process of finding a new asteroid begins with the selection of several sky fields, which are each observed at three different times. If a new object is found shifting in the same field, further observations are conducted to derive its orbital elements. The new object is then compared with the asteroid database at the MPC to distinguish if it is new

Asteroid 'Chengbruce' is located in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. In April, 2006 it was found in the constellation Virgo, but its current location is in the constellation Taurus. According to observations, Chengbruce's diameter is about 3.6 kilometers, and likely has an irregular shape The time it takes to orbit the sun is about 4.14 years. The next ideal time to observe the asteroid will be around December 2008.

Delta Electronics and NCU Share the Goal of Sustainability

Environmental sustainability is a key focus at NCU. The university pioneered the College of Earth Sciences and the Center for Space and Remote Sensing Research to help watch over Taiwan and the planet Earth. As leaders in optoelectronics and optical research, the university has also made significant gains in environmental protection and energy conservation. This is in keeping with the "Care for the Environment, Energy-saving and Our Green Earth" idea promoted by Delta as both share the goal of leaving a clean and healthy environment for future generations.