Name Pelageya Shajn | Role Astronomer | |
Died August 27, 1956, Moscow, Russia Discovered 1654 Bojeva, 1954 Kukarkin, 3958 Komendantov | ||
Pelageya Fedorovna Shajn, née Sannikova (Пелагея Фёдоровна Шайн) (1894 – August 27, 1956), was a Soviet–Russian astronomer. In modern English transliteration, her surname would be given as Shayn, but her astronomical discoveries are credited under the name P. F. Shajn. Nonetheless, her last name is sometimes given as Schajn, and her first name sometimes as Pelageja.
She was born in 1894 to a peasant family in the village Ostanin located in the Solikamsky District of the Perm Governorate. She was the wife of Grigory Abramovich Shajn (Григорий Абрамович Шайн), who was also a Russian astronomer. Her maiden name was Sannikova (Санникова).
She co-discovered the periodic comet 61P/Shajn–Schaldach. However, the non-periodic comet C/1925 F1 (Shajn-Comas Solá), also known as Comet 1925 VI or Comet 1925a, was co-discovered by her husband rather than by her.
She also discovered numerous asteroids and about 140 variable stars.
In honor of Pelageya Shajn was named asteroid 1190 Pelagia by Soviet/Russian astronomer Grigory Neujmin.