Josep Comas i Solà facts for kids
Josep Comas i Solà (born December 17, 1868, in Barcelona, Spain – died December 2, 1937) was a famous Spanish astronomer. He was from Catalonia and discovered many interesting things in space, like small planets (called asteroids), comets, and even pairs of stars known as double stars.
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Early Life and Love for Astronomy
Josep loved astronomy from a very young age. He wrote his first notes about stars when he was just 10 years old! By the time he was 15, he had already published an article in a special French magazine about astronomy. This shows how talented and dedicated he was to studying the sky.
Discoveries in Space
Josep Comas i Solà spent a lot of time observing planets. He studied Mars and Saturn, even figuring out how fast Saturn spins. He also made an important observation of Titan, one of Saturn's moons. In 1908, he noticed that Titan's edges looked darker, which was the first hint that this moon might have its own atmosphere!
He discovered a special type of comet that comes back regularly, called 32P/Comas Solà. He also helped find another comet, C/1925 F1 (Shajn-Comas Solà).
Asteroid Discoveries
Josep Comas i Solà is also known for discovering 11 asteroids between 1915 and 1930. Some of these asteroids were named after places or people important to him, such as:
- 804 Hispania
- 925 Alphonsina
- 945 Barcelona
- 986 Amelia
- 1102 Pepita
- 1117 Reginita
- 1136 Mercedes
- 1188 Gothlandia
- 1626 Sadeya
- 1655 Comas Solà
- 1708 Pólit
He also discovered a double star system, which is a pair of stars that orbit each other, called SOL 1.
Sharing Astronomy with Others
Josep Comas i Solà was not just a great observer; he also wanted to share his knowledge with everyone. He wrote several books that helped make astronomy easier for people to understand. He was also the first president of the Spanish and American Astronomical Society (S.A.D.E.Y.A.), an important group for astronomers in Spain and America.
Awards and Recognition
In 1905, Josep Comas i Solà received the Prix Jules Janssen. This is a very important award from the French astronomical society, the Société astronomique de France.
He was also the head of the Fabra Observatory in Barcelona from the time it was built in 1904. This observatory is still an important place for studying the stars today.
To honor his work, several things in space have been named after him:
- The asteroid 1102 Pepita was named after his nickname, Pepito.
- Another asteroid, 1655 Comas Solà, was also named after him.
- There is even a crater on Mars called Comas Sola crater.
See also
In Spanish: José Comas y Solá para niños
