John Francis Skjellerup, Date of Birth, Date of Death
TweetJohn Francis Skjellerup
Australian astronomer
Date of Birth: 
About John Francis Skjellerup
- John Francis Skjellerup (16 May 1875 – 6 January 1952) was an Australian who spent about a decade working as a telegraphist in South Africa, and was an astronomer. Some sources give his name as James Francis Skjellerup; in any case, apparently he preferred to be known as Frank.
- His father Peder Jensen Skjellerup was Danish and died when he was young; his mother was Margaret Williamson, born in England.
- He was born in Cobden, Victoria, Australia. Trained as a telegraphist, he went to South Africa when that country needed telegraphists after the Second Boer War.
- Apparently he was an excellent golfer as well as an astronomer.
- He married his wife Mary Peterson (South African) and returned with her to Australia in 1923; she died in 1950 and there were no children. He took up astronomy in South Africa and discovered or co-discovered various comets in both South Africa and Australia, including the periodic comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup in South Africa and the very bright Skjellerup-Maristany (C/1927 X1) (visible mostly from the southern hemisphere) in Australia. In addition to comets, he was also a variable star observer.
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