Donald Machholz
{{Short description|American amateur astronomer (1952–2022)}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name =
| image = Dm img.jpg
| caption = Machholz in November 2019
| birth_name = Donald Edward Machholz
| birth_date = {{birth date|1952|10|07}}
| birth_place = Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S.{{Cite web| url = https://www.space.com/comet-observer-don-macholz-tribute| title = In Memoriam: Famed 'Comet Hunter' Don Machholz dies at 69| author = Joe Rao | date = August 17, 2022 | accessdate = September 4, 2022| publisher = Space.com}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|8|09|1952|10|07}}
| death_place = Wikieup, Arizona, U.S.
| occupation = Amateur astronomer
| years_active = 1970–2022
| spouse = {{marriage|Michele Machholz
|2014}}
| children =
}}
Donald Edward Machholz (October 7, 1952 – August 9, 2022) was an American amateur astronomer who was credited with the discovery of 12 comets that bear his name.
Personal life and death
In 2014, he married photojournalist Michele Machholz. They resided at the Stargazer Ranch in Wikieup, Arizona. {{Cite web| url = https://www.space.com/comet-observer-don-macholz-tribute| title = In Memoriam: Famed 'Comet Hunter' Don Machholz dies at 69| author = Joe Rao | date = August 17, 2022 | accessdate = September 4, 2022| publisher = Space.com}}
Machholz died in the early morning of August 9, 2022, at his home in Wikieup, Arizona, from complications of COVID-19.{{cite news|url = https://universemagazine.com/en/famous-amateur-astronomer-donald-machholz-died/|title = Famous amateur astronomer Donald Machholz died|work = The Universe Space Tech|date = August 8, 2022|accessdate = August 27, 2022}}{{cite news|url = https://earthsky.org/human-world/don-machholz-1952-2022/|title = Don Machholz, 1952–2022|work = EarthSky.org|date = August 9, 2022|accessdate = August 11, 2022}} His obituary at Astronomy stated, "In the years leading up to his death, Machholz was considered the most prolific visual comet discoverer alive."
Career
He spent more than 9,000 hours comet hunting in a career spanning over 50 years.{{Cite web| url = https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/remembering-donald-machholz-1952-2022/| title = Remembering Donald Machholz, 1952 - 2022| author = Joe Rao | date = August 12, 2022 | accessdate = September 4, 2022| publisher = Sky & Telescope}} These comets include the periodic comets 96P/Machholz, 141P/Machholz, the non-periodic comets, C/1978 R3 (Machholz), C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) that were visible with binoculars in the northern sky in 2004 and 2005, C/2010 F4 (Machholz), and C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto){{Cite web
| url = http://auburnjournal.com/detail/145919.html
| title = Patience leads to new comet discovery by Colfax amateur astronomer
| author = Gus Thomson
| date = March 30, 2010
| accessdate = March 30, 2010
| publisher = Auburn Journal }}{{Cite web
| url = http://www.skyandtelescope.com/resources/proamcollab/astroalert/89322402.html
| title = New Comet Machholz
| publisher = Sky & Telescope
| author = Roger W. Sinnott
| date = March 27, 2010
| accessdate = March 30, 2010
}} In 1985, comet Machholz 1985-e, was discovered using a homemade cardboard telescope with a wide aperture, 10 inches across, that gave it a broader field of view than most commercial telescopes.{{Cite web
| url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-06-16-mn-2695-story.html
| title = Amateur Astronomer Nails Down His Second Comet
| agency = Associated Press
| date = June 16, 1985
| access-date = December 29, 2016
| work = Los Angeles Times }} Machholz utilized a variety of methods in his comet discoveries, in 1986 using 29×130 binoculars he discovered 96P/Machholz.{{Cite web
| url = http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/a-very-oddball-comet/
| title = A Very Oddball Comet
| author = Alan MacRobert
| date = December 2, 2008
| accessdate = December 2, 2008
| publisher = Sky & Telescope }}
Machholz was one of the inventors of the Messier Marathon, which is a race to observe all the Messier objects in a single night.{{cite web
| url = https://astronomy.com/news/2022/08/donald-machholz-prolific-comet-hunter-dies-at-age-69
| title = Donald Machholz, comet hunter and co-inventor of Messier marathon, dies at age 69
| work = Astronomy
| date = August 10, 2022
| access-date = August 15, 2022
| last1 = Parks
| first1 = Jake
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220812004459/https://astronomy.com/news/2022/08/donald-machholz-prolific-comet-hunter-dies-at-age-69
| archive-date = August 12, 2022
| url-status = live}}
Asteroid 245983 Machholz, discovered by Kazimieras Černis, was named in honor of Machholz in November 2017.{{cite web | url=https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=245983&view=OPD | title=Small-Body Database Lookup }}
= Comets discovered=
- 1978 Comet Machholz (1978l)
- 1985 Comet Machholz (1985e)
- 1986 Comet 96P/Machholz
- 1988 Comet Machholz (1988j)
- 1992 Comet Tanaka-Machholz (1992d)
- 1992 Comet Machholz (1992k)
- 1994 Comet Nakamura-Nishimura-Machholz (1994m)
- 1994 Comet 141P/Machholz 2
- 1994 Comet Machholz 1994r
- 2004 C/2004 Q2 (Machholz)
- 2010 C/2010 F4 (Machholz)
- 2018 C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto)
Awards and honors
- 1978 Tuthill Comet Award Roger Tuthill for discovering Comet Machholz (1978l)
- 1985 Tuthill Comet Award Roger Tuthill for discovering Comet Machholz (1986e)
- 1986 Tuthill Comet Award Roger Tuthill for discovering Periodic Comet Machholz 1 (1986e)
- 1994 Walter H. Haas Award Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers
- 1995 Machholz was the recipient of the G. Bruce Blair Medal
- 2000 Peggy Haas Service Award Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers Service to Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers
- 2005 Edgar Wilson Award Harvard's Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory for discovering Comet Machholz C/2004 Q2
- 2010 Edgar Wilson Award Harvard's Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory for discovering Comet Machholz C/2010 F4
- 2017 Asteroid 245983 Machholz discovered by Kazimieras Černis was named in honor of Donald Machholz in November 2017
- 2018 Edgar Wilson Award Harvard's Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory for discovering Comet C/2018 V1 Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto
- 2021 Leslie C. Peltier Award Astronomical League for the visual discovery of 12 comets and contributions to astronomy
Books
- The Observing Guide to the Messier Marathon: A Handbook and Atlas
- Decade of Comets: A Study of the 33 Comets Discovered by Amateur Astronomers Between 1975 and 1984
- An observer's guide to comet Hale-Bopp: Making the most of Comet Hale-Bopp: when and where to observe Comet Hale-Bopp and what to look for
References
{{Reflist}}
General references
- Associated Press (June 16, 1985) [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-06-16-mn-2695-story.html "Amateur Astronomer Nails Down His Second Comet"] Los Angeles Times Retrieved December 29, 2016
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory (October 14, 1994) [https://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/sl9/news42.html "MACHHOLZ'S BANNER YEAR"] Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Library of Congress (2002) [http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n2002012546.html "Machholz, Don 1952–"] Library of Congress
- Joe Rao (September 17, 2004) [https://www.space.com/340-newfound-comet-set-winter-display.html "Newfound Comet Set for Winter Display"] Space.com
- Debi Drake (May 22, 2005) [https://americanprofile.com/articles/man-takes-comet-hunting-new-heights/ "Meet The Comet Hunter: Don Machholz"] American Profile AMG/Parade
- Alan MacRobert (December 2, 2008) [https://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/a-very-oddball-comet/ "A Very Oddball Comet"] Sky & Telescope Retrieved December 2, 2008
- Jeanna Bryner (December 2, 2008) [https://www.space.com/6184-odd-comet-possibly-star-system.html "Odd Comet Possibly from Another Star System"] Space.com
- Roger W. Sinnott (March 27, 2010) [https://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/new-comet-machholz/ "New Comet Machholz"] Sky & Telescope Retrieved March 30, 2010.
- Brooks Hays (November 3, 2017) [https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2017/11/03/SOHO-spacecraft-spots-comet-96P-a-return-visitor/7691509724759/ "SOHO Spacecraft Spots Comet Machholz 96P, A Return Visitor"] UPI
- Gareth V. Williams (November 11, 2018) [https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K18/K18VF1.html "MPEC 2018-V151: COMET C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto)"] Minor Planet Center.
- Bob King (November 9, 2018) [https://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/machholz-12th-comet/ "Amateur Don Machholz Discovers His 12th Comet!"] Sky & Telescope
- [https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K18/K18VF1.html MPEC 2018-V151: COMET C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto)]
- Bob King (November 11, 2018) [http://astrobob.areavoices.com/2018/11/11/amateur-don-machholz-discovers-new-dawn-comet-heres-how-to-find-it Arizona Amateur Discovers New Dawn Comet — Here’s How To Find It]
- [https://theskylive.com/c2018v1-info Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) Sky Charts and Coordinates] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115153521/https://theskylive.com/c2018v1-info |date=November 15, 2018 }}
- [https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=C/2018%20V1;old=0;orb=1;cov=0;log=0;cad=0#orb JPL viewer] NASA
External links
{{Portal|Biography}}
- [http://donmachholz.com/ Don Machholz]
- {{JPL small body|id=1003590}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Machholz, Donald}}
Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Arizona
Category:Discoverers of comets
Category:20th-century American astronomers
Category:People from Mohave County, Arizona