Which astronomer discovered the periodic comet 35P/Herschel–Rigollet in 1788?

Caroline Herschel discovered periodic comet 35P/Herschel–Rigollet in 1788.

Born in Hanover in 1750, Herschel moved to England and worked closely with her brother William Herschel, the astronomer who discovered Uranus. She began systematic comet hunting and became the first woman to receive a salary as an astronomer from the British government.

Herschel discovered eight comets, several nebulae, and helped compile a catalogue of astronomical objects. Her comet is called Herschel–Rigollet because French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons Rigollet independently observed it again in 1939. Its orbital period is about 155 years.

Herschel is sometimes confused with Maria Mitchell, who discovered a different comet in 1847. Herschel’s work was especially important because she combined observation with careful catalogue-making, helping improve the accuracy of eighteenth-century astronomy.