Stefan Kürti´s Astro Web

Comets

Czech & Slovak comet discoverers

Antonín Mrkos

Antonin 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.

Antonin Mrkos
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 Kle Observatory in Czechoslovakia, well known for his contribution to cometary astronomy. He was the founder and for many years head of Kle Observatory who initiated the Kle minor planet survey, the first one in Czechoslovakia.


A. Mrkos with Slovak amateurs from TRIFID astronomy association at Klet Observatory

Foto: TRIFID       


Antonín Mrkos with visitors from Slovakia

Foto: TRIFID-Bödők      


List of comets discovered by Antonín Mrkos

Comet
Designation
of discoveries
Date
of discovery
Brightness
at discovery
Previous
designation
Mrkos
C/1947 Y1
1947 Dec 20
9,5 magn.
1948 a
Pajdušáková-Mrkos
C/1948 E1
1948 Mar 13
10 magn.
1948 d
P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková
45 P
1948 Dec 7
9 magn.
1948 n
Mrkos
C/1952 H1
1952 Apr 27
10 magn.
1952 c
Mrkos
C/1952 W1
1952 Nov 28
10 magn.
1948 f
Mrkos-Honda
C/1953 G1
1953 Apr 12
9 magn.
1953 a
Mrkos
C/1955 L1
1955 Jun 12
3,5 magn.
1955 e
P/Perinne-Mrkos
18 D
1955 Oct 19
9 magn.
1955 i
Mrkos
C/1956 E1
1956 Mar 12
9 magn.
1956 b
Mrkos
C/1957 P1
1957 Jul 29
3 magn.
1957 d
Mrkos
C/1959 X1
1959 Dec 3
8 magn.
1959 j
Kowal-Mrkos
143 P
1984 May 2
16 magn.
1984 n
Mrkos
124 P
1991 Mar 16
16 magn.
1991 k


References: magazines Říše hvězd, Kozmos




slovensky     English

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:







Stránka optimalizovaná pre rozlíšenie 1024x768 bodov Microsoft Internet Explorer verzia 7.0
This page is optimalized for default 1024x768 pixels and for browser Microsoft Internet Explorer vs. 7.0

Copyright Š 2008-2013 S. Kürti All right s reserved