Jean Chacornac

"Chacornac" redirects here. For the lunar crater, see Chacornac (crater).

Jean Chacornac (21 June 1823 – 23 September 1873) was a French astronomer and discoverer of a comet and several asteroids.^[2][3]

Minor planets discovered: 6^[1]

25 Phocaea	6 April 1853	MPC
33 Polyhymnia	28 October 1854	MPC
34 Circe	6 April 1855	MPC
38 Leda	12 January 1856	MPC
39 Laetitia	8 February 1856	MPC
59 Elpis	12 September 1860	MPC

He was born in Lyon and died in Saint-Jean-en-Royans, southeastern France. Working in Marseille and Paris, he discovered six asteroids in the asteroid belt (see table) and C/1852 K1 (Chacornac), a parabolic comet in 1852.^[4] This comet is thought to be the source of the current Eta Eridanids meteors.^[5] He also independently discovered 20 Massalia, which discovery is credited to the Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis, however.^[6]

Jean Chacornac was awarded the Lalande Prize in 1855, 1856 and in 1863. The asteroid 1622 Chacornac and the lunar crater Chacornac are named in his honour.^[3]