Jean-Louis Pons | |
|---|---|
 Jean-Louis Pons | |
| Born | 24 December 1761 Peyre, France |
| Died | 14 October 1831 (aged 69) |
| Awards | Lalande Prize (1818, 1820, 1827) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy |
Jean-Louis Pons (24 December 1761 – 14 October 1831) was a French astronomer.[1] Despite humble beginnings and being self-taught, he went on to become the greatest visual comet discoverer of all time: between 1801 and 1827 Pons discovered thirty-seven comets, more than any other person in history.
Pons worked at three observatories in his career, Marseille Observatory, where he was also trained, a short-lived observatory at Royal Park La Marlia in Tuscany, and finally at an observatory in Florence.[2]
Pons's work supported some famous comet recoveries of the 19th century, including Encke's Comet and Crommelin's Comet. However, most of the comets he discovered had near-parabolic orbits and would not return for a time as long as several millennia.
- ^ McGown, Robert D. (2007). "Pons, Jean-Louis". In Hockey, Thomas; et al. (eds.). Biographical dictionary of astronomers. Vol. II, M–Z. Springer. p. 924. ISBN 9780387304007.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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