A few minutes before midnight on 17 December 1965, I began a program of hunting for comets and exploding stars, or novae. I recall writing at the time that when I began, the interest would primarily be in comets. It still is, even though I independently discovered Nova Cygni 1975 (V1500 Cygni), and a second nova Cygni (V1668 Cygni) in 1978. I also remembered thinking that while discovering a comet is hard, searching for one is easy. I was 17 years old.
A few minutes before midnight on 17 December 2025, I completed sixty years of comet hunting. Years ago I proposed to Wendee that I might stop. Almost annoyed with me, she asked if I still enjoyed it as much as ever. Yes! “So why would you even consider stopping something that brings you so much joy?” Comet hunting still brings me as much delight as ever, and thus I continue to search whenever and wherever I can.
When I began, the sport seemed to be a good fit for my personality. I was quite shy and withdrawn as a kid, even more so as a teenager. Gravitating towards activities that kept me apart from other people, I even decided not to tell anyone, even my own family. As I grew older, my inhibition gradually faded. By the time I discovered my first comet in 1984, I had relocated to southern Arizona where clear nights were more the rule.
My program expanded momentously when I joined the Shoemaker team. In 1991 we discovered seven comets together, plus a new periodic comet I found on my own. The following years, 1992 and early 1993, saw no new comets for me or for us. All that changed on 23 March 1993, when I loaded a film into the 18-inch diameter Schmidt camera at Palomar Mountain Observatory. Two days later Carolyn uttered her now-famous line, “I think I have discovered a squashed comet,” that changed our lives forever. Gene died in an auto accident in 1997, and Carolyn passed away in 2021. I am the only one of our threesome that is left.
In recent years, I have become introverted once again. I am surrounded by excellent friends and family, but losing Wendee was very difficult. But there is one saving grace. On a starry night I walk out to my observatory and open it. Seeing the stars still gives me more happiness than I can ever expect. What began in 1965 has offered fulfillment, peace, and experiences I shall always cherish.
