Jean Chacornac
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25 Phocaea | 6 April 1853 | Template:MPC |
33 Polyhymnia | 28 October 1854 | Template:MPC |
34 Circe | 6 April 1855 | Template:MPC |
38 Leda | 12 January 1856 | Template:MPC |
39 Laetitia | 8 February 1856 | Template:MPC |
59 Elpis | 12 September 1860 | Template:MPC |
Jean Chacornac (21 June 1823 – 23 September 1873) was a French astronomer and discoverer of a comet and several asteroids.<ref name="Bio-Encyclopedia-Astronomers" /><ref name="springer" />
He was born in Lyon and died in Saint-Jean-en-Royans, southeastern France. Working in Marseille and Paris, he discovered six asteroids in the asteroid belt (see table) and C/1852 K1 (Chacornac), a parabolic comet in 1852.<ref name="jpldata-C/1852-K1" /> This comet is thought to be the source of the current Eta Eridanids meteors.<ref name="Ohtsuka-2001" /> He also independently discovered 20 Massalia, which discovery is credited to the Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis, however.<ref name="Massalia" />
Jean Chacornac was awarded the Lalande Prize in 1855, 1856 and in 1863. The asteroid 1622 Chacornac and the lunar crater Chacornac are named in his honour.<ref name="springer" />