Don Machholz

Don Machholz became interested in astronomy at age eight. He received his first telescope in 1965, a 2-inch refractor, and later a 6-inch Criterion Dynascope. In 1969–70, he completed the Messier catalog in one year, marking the beginning of a lifelong dedication to observational astronomy.

By the mid-1970s, Don developed a systematic approach to comet hunting. After more than 1,700 hours of searching, he visually discovered his first comet on September 12, 1978. Over his career, he discovered twelve comets, including the periodic comets 96P/Machholz and 141P/Machholz, and several non-periodic comets. His discoveries were visible even in binoculars and contributed significantly to amateur and professional astronomy alike.

In 1978, Don was one of the independent inventors of the Messier Marathon, a challenge to observe all 110 Messier objects in a single night. Over the next four decades, he completed more than fifty Messier Marathons and authored multiple books on the subject, including The Observing Guide to the Messier Marathon and An Observer’s Guide to Comet Hale-Bopp. He also wrote a monthly column, Comet Comments, from 1978 to 2000.

Until his passing in August 2022, Don continued visual comet hunting and Messier Marathons from Stargazer Ranch in Wikieup, Arizona, where he lived with his wife Michele.

In addition to his astronomy work, Don also created a children’s story series featuring Lil Donke — a gentle, playful character who learns through movement, curiosity, and friendship. These stories reflect Don’s warmth, imagination, and love of teaching through simple joy.