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Comets
Czech & Slovak comet discoverers
Antonín Mrkos
Antonín Mrkos, (1918-1996), Czech astronomer
studied comets and minor planets. During his work at observatories Skalnate
Pleso and Lomnitz Peak, Slovakia, he visually found 11 new comets.
Primary profession od Antonín Mrkos was teacher and although most of his
career he devoted to astronomy, after became a director of Klet Observatory
he returned also to his previous profession. He lectured astronomy
at universities in Prague and Ceske Budejovice.
He "discovered" astronomy during his studies near Prague. From here he often visited
the Observatory at Petrin, in Prague. There he learned how to grind glass for telescopes.
He taught for several years, since 1946 he devoted his life to astronomy,
when he started to work at Skalnate Pleso Observatory.
Besides his daily astronomical duties he finished his astronomy studies at University in Bratislava.
More than 10 years (1950-1961) he worked at Lomnitz Peak Observatory. He
took part on two Soviet Polar expeditions in Antartic in years
1957-59 and 1961-1963, where he studied mainly auroras.
Mrkos founded the Klet Observatory, near Ceske Budějovice in 1965 after
he was fired from Skalanate Pleso. He made for Klet Observatory
a big Maksutov camera for tracking comets and minor planets. He discovered
more than 270 asteroids and he added to his comets discoveries from
Skalnate Pleso period another two comets from Klet.
Asteroid 1969 PC
discovered by L. Chernych from Crimea on 1969 Aug. 11 was named in his honour
(1832) Mrkos.
(1832) Mrkos = 1969 PC
Discovered 1969 Aug. 11 by L. I. Chernykh at Nauchnyj
Named in honor of Antonín Mrkos (1918-1996), Director of Kleť Observatory in
Czechoslovakia, well known for his contribution to cometary astronomy. He was
the founder and for many years head of Kleť Observatory who initiated the Kleť minor
planet survey, the first one in Czechoslovakia.
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Foto: TRIFID
Foto: TRIFID-Bödők
List of comets discovered by Antonín Mrkos
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Comet
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Designation
of discoveries
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Date
of discovery
|
Brightness
at discovery
|
Previous
designation
|
|
Mrkos |
C/1947 Y1
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1947 Dec 20
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9,5 magn.
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1948 a
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Pajdušáková-Mrkos |
C/1948 E1
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1948 Mar 13
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10 magn.
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1948 d
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P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková |
45 P
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1948 Dec 7
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9 magn.
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1948 n
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|
Mrkos |
C/1952 H1
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1952 Apr 27
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10 magn.
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1952 c
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|
Mrkos |
C/1952 W1
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1952 Nov 28
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10 magn.
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1948 f
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Mrkos-Honda |
C/1953 G1
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1953 Apr 12
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9 magn.
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1953 a
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Mrkos |
C/1955 L1
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1955 Jun 12
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3,5 magn.
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1955 e
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P/Perinne-Mrkos |
18 D
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1955 Oct 19
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9 magn.
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1955 i
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Mrkos |
C/1956 E1
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1956 Mar 12
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9 magn.
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1956 b
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Mrkos |
C/1957 P1
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1957 Jul 29
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3 magn.
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1957 d
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Mrkos |
C/1959 X1
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1959 Dec 3
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8 magn.
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1959 j
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Kowal-Mrkos |
143 P
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1984 May 2
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16 magn.
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1984 n
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Mrkos |
124 P
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1991 Mar 16
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16 magn.
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1991 k
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References: magazines Říše hvězd, Kozmos
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