Some women and men have played a special role in the history of comets. They were professional astronomers or physicists, or amateur enthusiasts. Some of them are famous because they have discovered one or more comets, others because they allowed cometary science to cross decisive steps.

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Bouvard Alexis

Jean-Dominique Cassini (1625-1712)

Cassini Jean-Dominique

Alexis-Claude Clairaut (1713-1758)

Clairaut Alexis-Claude

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Gambart Adolphe

Edmond Halley (1656-1742)

Halley Edmond

Caroline Lucretia Herschel (1750-1848)

Herschel Caroline Lucretia

Johannes Hevelius (1611-1687) - 1

Hevelius Johannes

Dorothea Klumpke-Roberts (1861-1942)

Klumpke-Roberts Dorothea

Nicole-Reine Lepaute (1723-1788)

Lepaute Nicole-Reine

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McNaught Robert

Pierre André Méchain (1744-1804)

Méchain Pierre

Messier Charles

Maria Mitchell (1818-1889)

Mitchell Maria

Isaac Newton (1643-1727) - 5

Newton Isaac

Jan Hendrik Oort (1900-1992)

Oort Jan Hendrik

Ernst Öpik (1893-1985)

Öpik Ernst

Jean-Louis Pons (1761-1831)

Pons Jean-Louis

Giovanni Schiaparelli (1835-1910)

Schiaparelli Giovanni

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Shoemaker Eugene et Carolyn

Wilhelm Tempel (1821-1889)

Tempel Wilhelm

Fred E. Whipple (1906-2004)

Whipple Fred E.

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Winkelmann Maria