Wilhelm Tempel

Wilhelm Tempel
Asteroids discovered: 5
64 Angelina March 4, 1861
65 Cybele March 8, 1861
74 Galatea August 29, 1862
81 Terpsichore September 30, 1864
97 Klotho February 17, 1868

Ernst Wilhelm Leberecht Tempel (December 4, 1821 – March 16, 1889), normally known as Wilhelm Tempel, was a German astronomer who worked in Marseille until the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, then later moved to Italy.[1]

Tempel was born at Niedercunnersdorf, Saxony. He was a prolific discoverer of comets, discovering or co-discovering 21 in all, including Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, now known to be the parent body of the Leonid meteor shower, and 9P/Tempel, the target of the NASA probe Deep Impact in 2005. Other periodic comets that bear his name include 10P/Tempel and 11P/Tempel-Swift-LINEAR.

He won the Prix Valz for the year 1880.[2] The asteroid 3808 Tempel is named in his honour. The crater Tempel on the Moon is also named after him.

References

  1. Wilhelm Tempel - Catholic Encyclopedia article
  2. "Prix Valz". Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des sciences. Tomes XCII à CXXI, 3 Janvier 1881 à 30 Décembre 1895. Paris: Gauthier-Villars. 1900. p. 1574.

External links

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