Odette Bancilhon facts for kids

Odette Bancilhon (born September 22, 1908 – died 1998) was a French astronomer. She is famous for her work in the 1930s and 1940s at the Algiers Observatory in Algeria, North Africa. During her time there, she discovered an asteroid called 1333 Cevenola. This asteroid is a rocky object found in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Early Life and Discoveries

Odette Bancilhon studied science and became a graduate. She began her career in Algiers in 1932, working as a weather assistant for one year.

In December 1933, she took over from her colleague Alfred Schmitt while he was away for military service. It was during this time, in 1934, that she made an important discovery: the asteroid (1333) Cevenola. When she published her findings, she signed her name as O. Bancilhon, which was a common practice for astronomers then. She officially became an assistant at the observatory in November 1937.

Marriage and Later Career

On September 12, 1942, Odette Bancilhon married her colleague, Alfred Schmitt, in Algiers. After her marriage, she became known professionally as O. Schmitt-Bancilhon.

In January 1950, Odette and Alfred moved to France and began working at the Strasbourg Observatory. She continued her work there as an assistant for several years. Later, from October 1956 to April 1958, the couple moved to the Quito Observatory in Ecuador. Odette worked as an assistant while her husband was the director of the observatory. She retired from her astronomy career on July 1, 1964.

An Asteroid Named in Her Honor

To celebrate her contributions to astronomy, an asteroid was named after Odette Bancilhon. This asteroid is called 1713 Bancilhon. It is about 5.7 kilometers (3.5 miles) wide and is also located in the main asteroid belt.

Asteroid 1713 Bancilhon was discovered on September 27, 1951, by Louis Boyer. He was another astronomer who had worked with Odette at the Algiers Observatory.