Wilhelm Tempel
Asteroids discovered: 5 [1]
64 Angelina 4 March 1861
65 Cybele 8 March 1861
74 Galatea 29 August 1862
81 Terpsichore 30 September 1864
97 Klotho 17 February 1868

Ernst Wilhelm Leberecht Tempel (4 December 1821 – 16 March 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.[2]

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.

In 1861, he was awarded the Lalande Prize. He won the Prix Valz for the year 1880.[3] The main-belt asteroid 3808 Tempel and the lunar crater Tempel are named after him.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  2. ^ Wilhelm Tempel - Catholic Encyclopedia article
  3. ^ "Prix Valz". Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des sciences. Vol. Tomes XCII à CXXI, 3 Janvier 1881 à 30 Décembre 1895. Paris: Gauthier-Villars. 1900. p. 1574.
  4. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(3808) Tempel". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (3808) Tempel. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 322. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_3801. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.

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