SKJELLERUP and the COMETS

Presenter(s): Ian Sullivan

Affiliation(s): ASV and MPAS

Session details: Sunday, 2016-03-27 00:45:00, LT104

Abstract

Frank Skjellerup was born in Victoria, but spent over 20 years of his adult life in Capetown, South Africa, where he worked as a telegraphist. There, he became an avid amateur astronomer, independently discovering five comets including P/ Grigg-Skjellerup. 

After he returned to Australia in 1923, he found Skjellerup-Maristany in 1927, which gathered much media acclaim, and De Kock-Skjellerup in 1941. He was fortunate in that he found a short-period comet of period 5 years, and two others of naked-eye brightness!

He joined the ASV in 1933, served as its President (1942-4) and, as a Life Member, was also involved in work on variable stars until his death in 1952.

Biography

Ian Sullivan has presented talks at all NACAA conventions since 1998, except 2006. He is a Guide at Melbourne Observatory and regularly chases eclipses and transits.