Asteroids discovered: 11 804 Hispania March 20, 1915 925 Alphonsina January 13, 1920 945 Barcelona February 3, 1921 986 Amelia October 19, 1922 1102 Pepita November 5, 1928 1117 Reginita May 24, 1927 1136 Mercedes October 30, 1929 1188 Gothlandia September 30, 1930 1626 Sadeya January 10, 1927 1655 Comas Solà November 28, 1929 1708 Pólit December 1, 1929
Josep Comas i Solà (; Barcelona 17 December 1868 – 2 December 1937) was a Spanish (Catalan) astronomer, discoverer of minor planets, comets, and double stars.Cassini at Saturn: Huygens results, p. 31, p. 61Titan, p. xivTitan from Cassini–Huygens, p. 9The Cassini–Huygens mission: overview, objectives, and Huygens istrumentarium, p. 419
He wrote his first astronomy notes at the age of ten, and was only fifteen when he published an article in a French specialist magazine.Baedeker's Barcelona Peter M. Nahm, Automobile Association (Great Britain) - 1992 "Josep Comas i Solà (1868–1937) Born in Barcelona, Josep Comas i Sola soon made his mark as an astronomer; he was only fifteen when he published an article in a French specialist magazine. "
He observed planets including Mars and Saturn, measuring the rotation period of the latter. He wrote some books popularizing astronomy, and was first president of the Spanish and American Astronomical Society (; S.A.D.E.Y.A.). He discovered the periodic comet 32P/Comas Solà, and co-discovered the non-periodic comet C/1925 F1 (Shajn-Comas Solà); he is also credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of 11 asteroids during 1915–1930. Comas i Solà is also credited with the discovery of the double star SOL 1.
In 1905, Solà received the Prix Jules Janssen, the highest award of the Société astronomique de France, the French astronomical society. In 1908 he claimed to observe limb darkening of Saturn's moon Titan, the first evidence that the body had an atmosphere. He was the head of Fabra Observatory since it was established in 1904.
The asteroids 1102 Pepita (from his nickname Pepito) and 1655 Comas Solà are named after him, as is Comas Sola crater on Mars.
References
External links Josep Comas i Solà at astrogea.org 1915: Descubrimiento del primer asteroide por científicos españoles Josep Comas i Solà: divulgador científico José Comas y Solá, un barcelonés con estrella Vil·la Urània de Josep Comas i Solà José Comas i Solá, astrónomo