Paul G. Comba Explained
Paul G. Comba (1926 – April 5, 2017) was an Italian-American computer scientist, an amateur astronomer and a prolific discoverer of minor planets.[1]
He was born in Tunisia to Italian parents in 1926, and moved to Italy at a young age. Admitted to university studies at the age of 17, He attended the University of Turin (1943–46). In 1946 he moved to the United States to attend Bluffton College, from which he graduated in 1947. He then attended Caltech, and completed his Ph.D. work in mathematics in 1951 (the degree was conferred at commencement in 1952). In 1951 he moved to Honolulu where he taught at the University of Hawaii until 1960.
He then joined IBM as a software developer, and later as a member of the IBM Cambridge Scientific Center. There he worked in Cryptography, and also developed a multiplication algorithm for large numbers, which reduces the multiplication time to as little as 3% of the conventional algorithm.[2] [3]
In 2003 he won the Leslie C. Peltier Award for his contribution to astronomy.[4]
He is the author of the Astronomical League's Asteroid Club Observing Guide,[5] and was an active member of the Prescott Astronomy Club.[6]
Prescott Observatory
| Prescott Observatory |
| Qid: | Q1861728 |
| Coordinates Display: | inline |
After retirement in 1991, Comba moved to Prescott, Arizona, where he built the Prescott Observatory (obs. code: 684) There he specialized in discovering asteroids and has been recognized for the discovery of 644 numbered objects as of September 2013.
Refurbished in 2011, the observatory houses a PlaneWave CDK 24 inch telescope with two Takahashi wide field refractors in the dome. There is a dedicated solar observatory that is equipped with a Lunt 152 solar telescope. The observatory also has a nano lab for cosmology research that is currently equipped with a JEOL 5800LV SEM (scanning electron microscope). Prescott Observatory is an active contributor for the webcast organization SLOOH which is the premiere webcast organization for live celestial events. The observatory is now owned and operated by Matt Francis.
List of discovered minor planets
| 3 March 1997 | |
| 6 August 1996 | |
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| 25 July 1995 | |
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| 29 July 1997 | |
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| 26 March 1996 | |
| 1 August 1997 | |
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| 13 October 1996 | |
| 13 November 1996 | |
| 31 December 1997 | |
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| 3 December 1996 | |
| 10 June 1999 | |
| 14 April 1997 | |
| 27 April 1998 | |
| 11 October 1996 | |
| 1 December 1996 | |
| 15 December 1996 | |
| 31 January 1997 | |
| 8 March 1997 | |
| 30 March 1997 | |
| 10 February 1997 | |
| 4 August 1997 | |
| 27 April 1998 | |
| 5 September 1999 | |
| 19 August 1998 | |
| 31 January 1997 | |
| 19 April 1996 | |
| 18 March 1997 | |
| 30 May 1997 | |
| 1 June 1997 | |
| 21 May 1996 | |
| 8 September 1997 | |
| 6 May 1997 | |
| 21 May 1996 | |
| 31 October 1997 | | |
| 5 November 1997 | |
| 7 August 1997 | |
| 24 October 1997 | |
| 29 April 2000 | |
| 13 June 1997 | |
| 27 December 1997 | |
| 11 September 1999 | |
| 27 April 2000 | |
| 29 April 2000 | |
| 9 September 1996 | |
| 16 October 1996 | |
| 25 October 1997 | |
| 28 December 1997 | |
| 27 May 1998 | |
| 18 April 1999 | |
| 3 July 2000 | |
| 11 August 1996 | |
| 10 November 1996 | |
| 8 March 1997 | |
| 9 September 1997 | |
| 22 January 1998 | |
| 6 March 1999 | |
| 15 April 1999 | |
| 15 December 1999 | |
| 22 June 1996 | | |
| 16 September 1996 | |
| 10 January 1997 | |
| 4 February 1997 | |
| 7 March 1997 | |
| 20 June 1998 | |
| 18 July 1996 | |
| 13 February 1997 | |
| 27 April 1998 | |
| 13 June 1999 | |
| 8 August 1999 | |
| 7 May 1996 | |
| 8 July 1996 | |
| 13 October 1996 | |
| 13 October 1996 | |
| 13 December 1996 | |
| 14 February 1997 | |
| 28 June 1998 | |
| 8 October 1996 | |
| 17 January 1997 | |
| 28 April 1998 | |
| 15 August 1998 | |
| 13 August 1999 | |
| 5 September 1999 | |
| 8 March 1997 | |
| 6 May 1997 | | |
| 30 May 1997 | |
| 17 May 1998 | |
| 19 November 1996 | |
| 8 July 1997 | |
| 17 August 1998 | |
| 23 August 1998 | |
| 26 September 1998 | |
| 4 February 1997 | |
| 28 April 1997 | |
| 11 June 1997 | |
| 7 July 1997 | |
| 28 July 1998 | |
| 28 July 1998 | |
| 26 August 1998 | |
| 15 September 1998 | |
| 26 September 1998 | |
| 20 October 1998 | |
| 28 December 1999 | |
| 4 January 2000 | |
| 6 January 2000 | |
| 7 January 2000 | |
| 11 June 1997 | |
| 20 September 1998 | |
| 20 September 1998 | |
| 27 December 1998 | | |
| 11 April 1996 | |
| 24 April 1996 | |
| 11 May 1997 | |
| 30 June 1997 | |
| 8 July 1997 | |
| 3 December 1997 | |
| 26 September 1998 | |
| 19 November 1998 | |
| 12 April 2000 | |
| 26 April 2000 | |
| 30 October 1996 | |
| 8 December 1996 | |
| 9 July 1997 | |
| 23 October 1997 | |
| 7 November 1997 | |
| 13 September 1999 | |
| 27 February 2000 | |
| 11 April 2000 | |
| 29 April 2000 | |
| 8 May 1997 | |
| 12 August 1997 | |
| 23 August 1997 | |
| 30 September 1997 | |
| 2 October 1997 | |
| 23 November 1997 | | |
| 16 September 1998 | |
| 15 November 1998 | |
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| 17 November 1998 | |
| 19 December 1998 | |
| 21 March 1999 | |
| 14 May 1999 | |
| 1 May 2000 | |
| 2 May 2000 | |
| 2 May 2000 | |
| 1 June 2000 | |
| 1 June 2000 | |
| 3 July 2000 | |
| 5 July 2000 | |
| 29 July 2001 | |
| 11 June 1996 | |
| 21 September 1997 | |
| 27 December 1997 | |
| 10 May 1999 | |
| 4 October 1999 | |
| 10 April 2000 | |
| 13 April 2000 | |
| 30 April 2000 | |
| 1 August 2000 | |
| 2 March 1997 | | |
| 20 October 1997 | |
| 22 January 1998 | |
| 26 February 1998 | |
| 15 March 1999 | |
| 16 May 1999 | |
| 1 July 2000 | |
| 6 July 2000 | |
| 28 July 2000 | |
| 5 August 2000 | |
| 26 August 2000 | |
| 16 September 1996 | |
| 1 November 1997 | |
| 29 January 1998 | |
| 2 March 1998 | |
| 20 May 1999 | |
| 5 May 2000 | |
| 5 August 2000 | |
| 15 September 1996 | |
| 7 November 1997 | |
| 23 March 1998 | |
| 24 March 1998 | |
| 17 August 1998 | |
| 2 October 1999 | |
| 4 October 1999 | |
| 12 October 1999 | | |
| 4 January 2000 | |
| 15 September 1996 | |
| 9 October 1996 | |
| 2 November 1996 | |
| 19 January 1998 | |
| 15 July 1998 | |
| 12 February 1999 | |
| 18 June 1999 | |
| 12 September 1999 | |
| 2 October 1999 | |
| 2 October 1999 | |
| 25 December 1999 | |
| 1 July 2000 | |
| 3 July 2000 | |
| 31 January 1997 | |
| 23 May 1998 | |
| 19 August 1998 | |
| 4 January 2000 | |
| 3 February 2001 | |
| 23 September 1997 | |
| 28 April 1998 | |
| 28 May 1998 | |
| 26 August 1998 | |
| 4 October 1999 | |
| 8 October 1999 | | |
| 12 October 1999 | |
| 13 October 1999 | |
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| 8 February 2000 | |
| 5 July 2000 | |
| 5 September 1997 | |
| 25 July 1998 | |
| 15 August 1998 | |
| 17 August 1998 | |
| 12 September 1998 | |
| 15 October 1999 | |
| 28 December 1999 | |
| 12 May 1996 | |
| 13 September 1996 | |
| 24 July 1998 | |
| 25 July 1998 | |
| 17 August 1998 | |
| 21 November 1998 | |
| 6 April 1999 | |
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| 27 January 2000 | | |
| 2 February 2000 | |
| 10 March 2000 | |
| 4 April 2000 | |
| 1 November 1996 | |
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| 28 April 1997 | |
| 23 October 1997 | |
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| 9 May 2000 | |
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| 29 July 2001 | |
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| 18 November 1997 | |
| 28 February 1998 | |
| 14 December 1998 | |
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| 17 April 1999 | |
| 9 May 2000 | |
| 25 May 2000 | |
| 1 June 2000 | |
| 3 October 2000 | |
| 21 May 1996 | |
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| 9 June 1997 | |
| 16 November 1998 | |
| 24 December 1998 | |
| 27 December 1998 | |
| 12 March 1999 | |
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| 21 July 2000 | |
| 26 July 2000 | |
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| 22 September 2000 | |
| 1 December 1996 | |
| 8 September 1997 | |
| 3 August 1999 | |
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| 5 April 2000 | |
| 24 September 2000 | |
| 14 March 2001 | |
| 15 April 1996 | |
| 8 October 1996 | |
| 11 January 1997 | |
| 11 May 1997 | |
| 27 October 1997 | |
| 28 April 1998 | |
| 21 June 1998 | |
| 15 August 1998 | |
| 23 August 1998 | |
| 19 September 1998 | |
| 16 October 1998 | |
| 19 December 1998 | |
| 26 December 1998 | | |
| 18 September 1999 | |
| 4 October 1999 | |
| 15 October 1999 | |
| 31 December 1999 | |
| 4 January 2000 | |
| 24 February 2001 | |
| 23 April 2001 | |
| 1 January 1997 | |
| 30 June 1997 | |
| 22 March 1998 | |
| 28 May 1998 | |
| 22 June 1998 | |
| 21 July 1999 | |
| 3 September 1999 | |
| 1 December 1999 | |
| 7 December 1999 | |
| 15 December 1999 | |
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| 10 January 2000 | |
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| 10 March 2000 | |
| 29 April 2000 | |
| 15 March 2001 | |
| 19 March 2001 | | |
| 16 September 2001 | |
| 30 October 1996 | |
| 4 February 1997 | |
| 8 May 1997 | |
| 23 October 1997 | |
| 17 August 1998 | |
| 24 December 1998 | |
| 27 December 1998 | |
| 31 December 1999 | |
| 12 January 2000 | |
| 15 January 2000 | |
| 1 February 2000 | |
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| 8 February 2000 | |
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| 11 March 2000 | |
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| 23 May 2000 | |
| 9 June 2000 | |
| 10 January 1997 | | |
| 31 January 1997 | |
| 23 September 1997 | |
| 10 March 1999 | |
| 4 October 1999 | |
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| 2 April 2000 | |
| 13 April 2000 | |
| 24 May 2000 | |
| 26 May 2000 | |
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| 1 July 2000 | |
| 16 August 2001 | |
| 13 September 2001 | |
| 7 May 1996 | |
| 9 September 1996 | |
| 18 December 1996 | |
| 24 October 1997 | |
| 15 August 1998 | |
| 6 June 1999 | |
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| 9 October 1999 | | |
| 31 October 1999 | |
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| 25 March 2000 | |
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| 4 July 2000 | |
| 21 August 2000 | |
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| 5 October 2000 | |
| 17 March 2001 | |
| 18 September 1996 | |
| 8 January 1997 | |
| 22 March 1998 | |
| 28 May 1998 | |
| 9 April 1999 | |
| 16 April 1999 | |
| 8 October 1999 | |
| 31 October 1999 | |
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| 15 December 1999 | |
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| 18 November 2000 | |
| 16 February 2001 | |
| 25 April 2001 | |
| 9 September 1996 | |
| 7 October 1996 | |
| 7 November 1996 | |
| 1 December 1996 | |
| 9 April 1997 | |
| 29 October 1997 | |
| 19 September 1998 | |
| 24 September 1998 | |
| 17 October 1998 | |
| 18 October 1998 | |
| 26 December 1998 | |
| 12 February 1999 | |
| 12 February 1999 | |
| 6 March 1999 | |
| 10 March 1999 | |
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| 11 August 1999 | |
| 12 August 1999 | |
| 13 October 1999 | |
| 11 December 1999 | |
| 11 January 2000 | |
| 3 February 2000 | | |
| 3 February 2000 | |
| 6 February 2000 | |
| 10 March 2000 | |
| 7 April 2000 | |
| 11 April 2000 | |
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| 23 May 2000 | |
| 27 May 2000 | |
| 5 August 2000 | |
| 31 August 2000 | |
| 22 September 2000 | |
| 28 November 2000 | |
| 12 February 2001 | |
| 16 February 2001 | |
| 9 September 2001 | |
| 12 September 2001 | |
| 14 March 2002 | |
| 9 July 1997 | |
| 20 September 1998 | |
| 12 January 2000 | |
| 4 April 2000 | |
| 1 November 1996 | |
| 31 January 1997 | |
| 8 August 1999 | |
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| 15 October 1999 | |
| 9 December 1999 | |
| 11 December 1999 | |
| 28 December 1999 | |
| 30 December 1999 | |
| 12 January 2000 | |
| 10 March 2000 | |
| 10 March 2000 | |
| 9 April 2000 | |
| 26 May 2000 | |
| 27 July 2000 | |
| 27 July 2000 | |
| 3 August 2000 | |
| 26 August 2000 | |
| 24 July 2001 | |
| 11 October 1996 | |
| 20 October 1997 | |
| 9 March 1999 | |
| 6 February 2000 | |
| 8 February 2000 | |
| 2 March 2000 | |
| 3 October 2000 | |
| 19 March 2001 | |
| 14 March 2002 | |
| 17 January 1998 | | |
| 13 October 1999 | |
| 8 February 2000 | |
| 19 September 2001 | |
| 18 July 1996 | |
| 3 December 1996 | |
| 6 February 1997 | |
| 28 September 1998 | |
| 6 March 1999 | |
| 7 June 1999 | |
| 10 October 1999 | |
| 12 October 1999 | |
| 4 January 2000 | |
| 6 January 2000 | |
| 23 September 2000 | |
| 12 November 1996 | |
| 5 November 1997 | |
| 8 September 1999 | |
| 31 May 2000 | |
| 1 January 1997 | |
| 28 December 1999 | |
| 2 March 2000 | |
| 26 August 2000 | |
| 10 September 1997 | |
| 8 October 1999 | |
| 15 January 2000 | | |
| 2 February 2000 | |
| 5 April 2000 | |
| 3 May 2000 | |
| 6 April 2000 | |
| 30 July 2000 | |
| 22 July 1996 | |
| 5 October 1996 | |
| 13 February 1997 | |
| 15 August 1998 | |
| 4 October 1999 | |
| 24 May 2001 | |
| 26 March 2000 | |
| 26 August 2000 | |
| 6 August 1996 | |
| 24 March 2000 | |
| 1 June 2000 | |
| 7 November 1996 | |
| 8 September 1996 | |
| 6 October 1996 | |
| 15 January 2000 | |
| 30 July 2000 | |
| 19 February 2001 | |
| 9 September 1996 | |
| 24 July 1998 | |
| 13 December 1998 | | |
| 26 August 2001 | |
| 8 January 1997 | |
| 24 September 2000 | |
| 9 August 1999 | |
| 19 September 2000 | |
| 24 September 2000 | |
| 28 June 2003 | |
| 11 January 2000 | |
| 9 March 1999 | |
| 16 January 2000 | |
| 2 April 2000 | |
| 11 April 2000 | |
| 7 May 2000 | |
| 31 May 2000 | |
| 7 June 2000 | |
| 28 December 1999 | |
| 21 August 2000 | |
| 28 January 2000 | |
| 24 July 2001 | |
| 26 March 2000 | |
| 5 August 2000 | |
| 14 March 2002 | |
| 14 September 1999 | |
| 21 August 2000 | |
| 17 March 2001 | | |
| 3 October 1996 | |
| 4 October 1999 | |
| 4 October 1999 | |
| 14 April 2000 | |
| 25 July 2000 | |
| 30 March 2000 | |
| 18 March 2001 | |
| 31 January 1997 | |
| 12 April 2000 | |
| 28 January 2000 | |
| 1 February 2000 | |
| 31 August 2000 | |
| 12 October 1999 | |
| 7 November 1996 | |
| 12 October 1999 | |
| 10 June 2000 | |
| 28 July 2000 | |
| 3 October 1996 | |
| 26 August 2000 | |
| 7 August 1996 | |
| 4 July 2000 | |
| 1 September 1997 | |
| 2 March 2000 | |
| 1 October 2000 | |
| 5 May 2002 | | |
| 2 February 2000 | |
| 12 February 2001 | |
| 17 October 1996 | |
| 25 May 2000 | |
| 24 September 2000 | |
| 12 February 2001 | |
| 23 September 1996 | |
| 30 September 1997 | |
| 12 December 1999 | |
| 10 January 2000 | |
| 4 December 2000 | |
| 15 April 2001 | |
| 11 December 1999 | |
| 15 December 1999 | |
| 22 August 2000 | |
| 18 April 2001 | |
| 31 January 1997 | |
| 31 October 1996 | |
| 7 May 2000 | |
| 24 September 2000 | |
| 24 May 2001 | |
| 12 June 1996 | |
| 3 October 1996 | |
| 27 July 2001 | |
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| 7 May 2002 | |
| 1 July 2000 | |
| 6 March 1997 | |
| 26 August 2000 | |
| 24 September 2000 | |
| 1 February 2001 | |
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| 7 October 1996 | |
| 26 March 2000 | |
| 27 July 2000 | |
| 21 August 2000 | |
| 29 July 2000 | |
| 12 December 1996 | |
| 12 September 1999 | |
| 14 March 2001 | |
| 30 April 2000 | |
| 30 October 1997 | |
| 4 December 2000 | |
| 12 November 1996 | |
| 6 October 1996 | |
| 11 November 1996 | |
| 3 October 1996 | |
| 18 September 1996 | |
| 16 September 1999 | |
| 23 May 2000 | | |
| 17 October 1998 | |
| 1 June 1997 | |
| 21 August 2000 | |
| 2 September 2000 | |
| 8 October 1996 | |
| 26 May 2000 | |
| 3 February 2001 | |
| 26 August 2001 | |
| 12 November 1996 | |
| 4 December 1996 | |
| 11 October 1999 | |
| 29 May 2000 | |
| 16 August 2001 | |
| 5 October 2000 | |
| 29 September 2003 | |
| 2 February 2000 | |
| 29 May 2000 | |
| 30 March 2000 | |
| 26 September 2003 | |
| 16 September 1999 | |
| 30 July 2000 | |
| 15 March 2001 | |
| 4 January 2001 | |
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| 18 September 2001 | | |
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| 6 January 2000 | |
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| 9 September 1996 | |
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| 21 September 1999 | |
| 11 March 2000 | |
| 28 July 2000 | |
| 2 September 2000 | |
| 10 May 2000 | |
| 30 June 1997 | |
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Notes and References
- Web site: Obituary: Paul G. Comba . 14 April 2017 . The Daily Courier (Arizona).
- Web site: Guest Speakers. www.astroverde.org. 2018-11-02.
- Web site: Comba multiplication - Everything2.com. everything2.com. en. 2018-11-02.
- Web site: Peltier Award The Astronomical League. www.astroleague.org. en. 2018-11-02.
- Web site: Archived copy . 2006-07-05 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060506024144/http://www.astromax.com/aaaa/pdf/al-asteroid.pdf . 2006-05-06 .
- Web site: Prescott Astronomy Club. https://web.archive.org/web/20061004013432/http://www.pacorg.net/index.htm. dead. 2006-10-04. 2006-10-04. 2018-11-02.
