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Comets

Czech & Slovak comet discoverers

źudmila Pajdušáková

Ludmila Pajdusakova
źudmila Pajdušáková, (1916-1979), Slovak astronomer and third director of Skalnate Pleso Observatory became famous by discoveries of 5 comets.

Previously she was a teacher assistant and she worked as a teacher for 8 years. In July 1944 she finished her career in teaching and started to work at Skalnate Pleso Observatory. She finished her astronomy studies at University in Bratislava in 1950. Since the beginning of her research she photographed meterors and beside that she regurarly hunted for comets. She started also systematic observation of minor planets at Skalnate Pleso.

She was ditector of Skalnate Pleso Observatory and Astronomical Institute in Tatranska Lomnica during years 1958-1979. Those years she devoted to observations of Sun, especially its corona by coronograph from Lomnitz Peak Obseratory. She was a member of International Astronomy Union (IAU) since 1967. She became famous by 5 visual discoveries of comets, all discovered by giant binocular Somet Binar 25x100.

She ranked 5th on the list of woman comet dicoverers behind those hunters: Carolyn S. Shoemaker (32 comets), Jeanne Mueller (15), Eleanor Helin (12) and Caroline Herschel (6). But 50 years ago she was right behind Caroline Herschel threatening her first rank in total list of woman comet discoverers.

Asteroid 1982 UJ2 discovered by her exhusband Antonin Mrkos at Klet Observatory on 1982 Oct. 17 was named in her honour   (3636) Pajdušáková.

(4567) Pajdušáková = 1982 UJ2             Discovered 1982 Oct. 17 by A. Mrkos at Kle.

Named in memory of źudmila Pajdušáková (1916-1979), the first Slovak woman astronomer, a specialist in solar astronomy and recognized as discoverer of five comets. Some time wife of the discoverer, she was the third director of the Skalnate Pleso Observatory and Astronimcal Institute in Tatranská Lomnica.


Ludmila Pajdusakova at giant binocular she used for comet hunting, Skalnate Pleso, 1967

Foto: B.Marsden       

List of comets discovered by Ludmila Pajdusakova

Comet
Designation
of discoveries
Date
of discovery
Brightness
at discovery
Previous
designation
Pajdušáková-Rotbar-Weber
C/1946 K1
1946 May 30
7. magn.
1946 d
Pajdušáková-Mrkos
C/1948 E1
1948 Mar 13
10. magn.
1948 d
P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková
45 P
1948 Dec 3
9 magn.
1948 n
Pajdušáková
C/1951 C1
1951 Feb 4
8,5 magn.
1951 II
Pajdušáková
C/1953 X1
1953 Dec 3
11. magn.
1954 II

Ludmila Pajdusakova at telescope, Skalnate Pleso Observatory

Ludmila Pajdusakova at her office, Skalnate Pleso Observatory

ź. Pajdušáková congratulates to the winners of astronomy competition

Foto: TRIFID       


from left to right: M. Bélik, director of SÚAAH, ź. Pajdušáková
from right to left: M. Znášik, the winner, Z. Bödők, runner up





odrazka Summary of NEAT discoveries:
SkyMorph/NEAT (644): 150
Trojans: 3
Main Belt Asteroids: 147
Numbered: 66
Multi Opposition: 50
Single Opposition: 31
2-nighters: 3

Last update: 2013 Feb 4

odrazka Ephemeris for follow up:







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