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  • Biography
  • Visual Comet Discoveries
    • Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto)
    • March 28, 2010
    • August 27, 2004
    • Comet Machholz 1994r
    • 141P/Machholz 2
    • Comet Nakamura-Nishimura-Machholz 1994m
    • Comet Machholz 1992k
    • March 31, 1992
    • August 6, 1988
    • May 12, 1986
    • May 27, 1985
    • September 12, 1978
  • A Decade of Comets
  • Messier Marathon History
  • Award and Citations
  • StarChair 3000
  • Looking Up with Don Podcast
  • 141/P Machholz 2 Returns

The Comet Hunter

Don Machholz

The Comet Hunter

LUWD #0073 Coordinating Everything in the Sky

2021-05-24
By: Donald Machholz
On: May 24, 2021

I once owned a 2010 Equinox, but now we are talking about motorized vehicles. Let’s get back to the sky’s equinox, which travels much more slowly, and lasts longer. -Don MachholzContinue Reading

LUWD #0072 Total Lunar Eclipse

2021-05-19
By: Donald Machholz
On: May 19, 2021

At this point, you might say: “You call this an eclipse?”  Good call, the moon is barely inside the earth’s shadow. – Don MachholzContinue Reading

LUWD #0071 Constellation Location and Identification

2021-05-11
By: Donald Machholz
On: May 11, 2021

The eyes alone are superior to the telescope for some types of viewing, such as watching meteor showers and learning the constellations. – Don MachholzContinue Reading

LUWD #0070 Eclipses

2021-05-03
By: Donald Machholz
On: May 3, 2021

The eclipse path for a lunar eclipse is big, about half the earth. Whoever can see the moon can see the lunar eclipse. – Don MachholzContinue Reading

LUWD #0069 Our Moon

2021-04-27
By: Donald Machholz
On: April 27, 2021

We have seen pictures of the moon’s back side, and believe me, we have the more interesting side. – Don MachholzContinue Reading

LUWD #0068 Meteor Showers

2021-04-18
By: Donald Machholz
On: April 18, 2021

There are more meteor showers than meets the eye. – Don MachholzContinue Reading

LUWD #0067 Where Did Orion Go?

2021-04-13
By: Donald Machholz
On: April 13, 2021

We often think of space as a vacuum, well it isn’t. We’re here, aren’t we? – Don MachholzContinue Reading

LUWD #0066 A Planet Primer

2021-04-07
By: Donald Machholz
On: April 7, 2021

Take one planet a day and I’ll see you next week. – Don MachholzContinue Reading

LUWD #0065 Is That Jupiter in the Big Dipper Tonight?

2021-03-31
By: Donald Machholz
On: March 31, 2021

Astrology is not astronomy; astronomy does not care where the planets were when you were born. Astronomers are much more concerned about where they are tonight. – Don MachholzContinue Reading

LUWD #0064 The Nova in Cassiopeia

2021-03-24
By: Donald Machholz
On: March 24, 2021

Yes, I’m a farmer too. – DON MACHHOLZContinue Reading

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I Believe in Comets

Believing is what keeps this visual comet discoverer going. Don talks via Skype to Michigan astronomy enthusiasts at the Headlands International Dark Sky Park. Thanks @headlandsstars pic.twitter.com/oaAJ9mVOaL

— Donald Machholz (@cometmachholz) July 29, 2017

Pages

  • 141/P Machholz 2 Returns
  • A Decade of Comets
  • Award and Citations
  • Biography
  • Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto)
  • Messier Marathon History
  • Privacy Policy
  • StarChair 3000
  • The Comet Hunter
  • Visual Comet Discoveries
    • 141P/Machholz 2
    • August 27, 2004
    • August 6, 1988
    • Comet Machholz 1992k
    • Comet Machholz 1994r
    • Comet Nakamura-Nishimura-Machholz 1994m
    • March 28, 2010
    • March 31, 1992
    • May 12, 1986
    • May 27, 1985
    • September 12, 1978
  • Wikipedia

Astronomy

A Decade of Comets asteroids astronomer Astronomical astronomy astronomy podcast Atlas Betelgeuse binocular Cassiopeia challenge comet Comet ATLAS Comet NEOWISE comets Comet SWAN discoverer discovery Donald Machholz Don Machholz Dr Edgar Everhart Hercules Loma Prieta Lunar Eclipse M13 Machholz Mars Mercury Messier Marathon naked-eye Neptune Observatories planets podcast Saturn science Search Sequence space Square of Pegasus Star Parties telescope The Pleiades Uranus Venus visual comet hunting

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Print Don’s Messier Marathons Here

Messier Marathon Search Sequence

LUWD #0008 – Messier Marathon Search Sequence

Continue Reading

https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.233.227/06c.637.myftpupload.com/podcast-player/797/luwd-0008-messier-marathon-search-sequence.mp3

Interviews with Don Machholz

Observers Notebook- The Official ALPO Podcast · The Observers Notebook- Comet 2018 V1 with Don Machholz

Stargazer Arizona Observatory

Stargazing Yukon Suit Utilized For Comet Hunting

Carhartt Yukon Coveralls Don Machholz aka The Comet Hunter wears while comet hunting during brisk cold weather. Image: Michele Machholz

Donald Edward Machholz

is an American amateur astronomer, who is number one in the world for visual comet discoveries. Credited with the discovery of 12 comets, that include the periodic comets 96P/Machholz, 141P/Machholz, the non-periodic C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) that were visible with binoculars in the northern sky in 2004 and 2005, C/2010 F4 (Machholz), and most recently C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) [1][2] In 1985, comet Machholz 1985-e, was discovered using a homemade cardboard telescope with a wide aperture, 10 inches across, that gave it a broader field of view than most commercial telescopes.[3] Amateur astronomer Machholz utilizes a variety of methods in his comet discoveries, in 1986 using 29×130 binoculars he discovered 96P/Machholz.[4]

Machholz is considered to be one of the inventors of the Messier marathon, which is a race to observe all the Messier objects in a single night.

Homemade 29×130 Binoculars

The homemade binoculars I used to discover #96p, 2 deg S of M31. The song, “Against All Odds” by Phil Collins was playing on the radio.

Comet Hunting History

Podcast Host Don Machholz Circa 2020
Jill Tarter SETI and Don Machholz Circa 2010
Don Machholz Circa 2014
Media Comet Machholz Circa 2005
Don Machholz Circa 2020
Don with StarChair 3000 Circa 2019
Don Machholz @ ABC Studios Circa 2017
Don Machholz and Jean Mueller at Riverside Telescope Makers Conference Circa 2018
Howard Brewington and Don Machholz Circa 2015
Dr Brian Marsden with Don Machholz at the location from where I found my second comet in 1985 Circa 1991
Astronomy Meme 2019
Don Machholz living in Panama Age 3 Circa 1955
Don Machholz Circa 2012
Don Machholz Circa 1985
Don Machholz, Rodney Austin, Doug Berger Circa 1986
Talk at East Valley Astronomy Club – Arizona Circa 2019
Don Machholz at Loma Prieta, California Circa 1986
Comet Discoverer Card Circa 1983
Don Machholz at Riverside Telescope Makers Comet Discovery Location Circa 2018
Don Machholz

Strangest Comet Ever Found!

Comet 96P/Machholz "Strangest comet ever found," Bob Berman @Slooh @willgater Next perihelion: October 27, 2017 pic.twitter.com/UmkSYdQOQw

— Donald Machholz (@cometmachholz) August 1, 2017

Machholz Twitter

Tweets by cometmachholz

Astronomy

A Decade of Comets asteroids astronomer Astronomical astronomy astronomy podcast Atlas Betelgeuse binocular Cassiopeia challenge comet Comet ATLAS Comet NEOWISE comets Comet SWAN discoverer discovery Donald Machholz Don Machholz Dr Edgar Everhart Hercules Loma Prieta Lunar Eclipse M13 Machholz Mars Mercury Messier Marathon naked-eye Neptune Observatories planets podcast Saturn science Search Sequence space Square of Pegasus Star Parties telescope The Pleiades Uranus Venus visual comet hunting

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