Josep Comas i Solà

Josep Comas i Solà
Asteroids discovered: 11 [1]
804 Hispania March 20, 1915
925 Alphonsina January 13, 1920
945 Barcelona February 3, 1921
986 Amelia October 19, 1922
1102 Pepita November 5, 1928
1117 Reginita May 24, 1927
1136 Mercedes October 30, 1929
1188 Gothlandia September 30, 1930
1626 Sadeya January 10, 1927
1655 Comas Solà November 28, 1929
1708 Pólit December 1, 1929

Josep Comas i Solà (Catalan pronunciation: [ʒuˈzɛp ˈkoməs i suˈla]) (17 December 1868 – 2 December 1937) was a Spanish astronomer and discoverer of minor planets and comets, born of Catalan origin in Barcelona.[2][3][4][5]

He wrote his first astronomy notes at 10, and was only fifteen when he published an article in a French specialist magazine.[6]

He observed planets including Mars and Saturn, measuring the rotation period of the latter. He wrote some books popularizing astronomy, and was first president of the Sociedad Astrónomica de España y América. He discovered the periodic comet 32P/Comas Solà, and co-discovered the non-periodic comet C/1925 F1 (Shajn-Comas Solà); he is also credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of 11 asteroids during 1915–1930.[1]

In 1905, Solà received the Prix Jules Janssen, the highest award of the Société astronomique de France, the French astronomical society. In 1907 he claimed to observe limb darkening of Saturn's moon Titan, the first evidence that the body had an atmosphere.[7] He was the director of Fabra Observatory since it was established in 1904.

The asteroids 1102 Pepita (from his nickname Pepito)[8] and 1655 Comas Solà are named after him.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 "Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  2. ↑ Cassini at Saturn: Huygens results, p. 31, p. 61
  3. ↑ Titan, p. xiv
  4. ↑ Titan from Cassini–Huygens, p. 9
  5. ↑ The Cassini–Huygens mission: overview, objectives, and Huygens istrumentarium, p. 419
  6. ↑ Baedeker's Barcelona Peter M. Nahm, Automobile Association (Great Britain) - 1992 "Josep Comas i Solà (1868–1937) Born in Barcelona, Josep Comas i Sola soon made his mark as an astronomer; he was only fifteen when he published an article in a French specialist magazine. "
  7. ↑ Tilman Spohn (2014). Encyclopedia of the Solar System. Elsevier. p. 831. ISBN 9780124158450. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  8. ↑ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1102) Pepita. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 94. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  9. ↑ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1655) Comas Solá. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 131–132. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3. Retrieved 8 August 2016.

External links

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