Don Edward Machholz
Donald Edward Machholz (born October 7, 1952 in Portsmouth , Virginia ) is an American amateur astronomer who lives in Colfax , California .
Machholz (by profession an optician) had discovered a total of ten comets by the end of 2004 , including the periodic comets 96P / Machholz and 141P / Machholz .
He is one of the most successful “comet hunters”.
Most comets have been discovered so far by William Bradfield (16 discoveries), followed by Antonín Mrkos (11 discoveries).
In August 2004 he discovered the non-periodic "Comet Machholz" with the official designation C / 2004 Q2 , which was visible in the northern sky with binoculars - at times even with the naked eye - in winter / spring 2004/2005 . For this discovery he received the Edgar Wilson Award in June 2005 .
Machholz also became known for promoting the idea of running Messier marathons . One looks for all 110 foggy objects in one night, which the French astronomer Charles Messier summarized in his catalog. Machholz wrote the book The Observing Guide to the Messier Marathon; A Handbook and Atlas.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Machholz, Don Edward |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Machholz, Donald Edward (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American amateur astronomer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 7, 1952 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Portsmouth, Virginia |