William A. Bradfield
Encyclopedia
William A. Bradfield is one of the best known comet
hunters in the world.
He was born in New Zealand
and lives in Australia. He is not a professional astronomer
. He discovered his first comet in 1972. The comet C/1972 E1 has only his name, as the other 17 comets he found with a six-inch (15 cm) telescope
. He found his last comet in 2004. He is one of the greatest comet hunters in history. His success inspires many southern hemisphere
comet hunters.
Comet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
hunters in the world.
He was born in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and lives in Australia. He is not a professional astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
. He discovered his first comet in 1972. The comet C/1972 E1 has only his name, as the other 17 comets he found with a six-inch (15 cm) telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
. He found his last comet in 2004. He is one of the greatest comet hunters in history. His success inspires many southern hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
comet hunters.