Joel Hastings Metcalf

Joel Hastings Metcalf (January 4, 1866 – February 23, 1925) was an American astronomer, humanitarian and minister.[1]

Reverend Metcalf graduated from Harvard Divinity School in 1892. He served as a Unitarian minister in Burlington, Vermont and in Taunton, Massachusetts, Winchester, Massachusetts and Portland, Maine.

He discovered or co-discovered several comets, including 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf and 97P/Metcalf-Brewington, and also 41 asteroids during 1905–1914, as credited by the Minor Planet Center.[2]

Two of his discoveries, the main-belt asteroids 726 Joëlla and 792 Metcalfia, were named in his honor.[3][4]

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  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference springer-Joëlla was invoked but never defined (see the help page).