TAIPEI, Taiwan--(Business Wire)--
Bruce C.H. Cheng, founder and chairman of Delta Electronics Inc.
(TSE:2308), 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.
Delta Electronics, Inc.
Wendy Shih, 886-2-8797-2088 ext. 5524
Copyright Business Wire 2008
