Edward Pigott (Whitton, 1753 - Bath, June 17, 1825) was a British astronomer.

Son of the astronomer Nathaniel Pigott (1725-1804) and Anna Mathurine de Bériot (1727-1792), lived in England, France and Wales. He worked as a young man with his father astronomer, observing, among other things, the transit of Venus on June 3, 1769. On March 23, 1779 he discovered a nebula in Chioma di Berenice, which later became known as the M64. The discovery was only 12 days before that of Bode and about a year before the independent discovery of Charles Messier. Perhaps because of his late publication, Pigott's original discovery ended in oblivion and his nebula was apparently never identified, as long as the information was recovered by the Welsh Bryl Jones.

On 17 November 1783 he discovered the Great Comet of 1783, independently discovered by Pierre Méchain and observed by several astronomers, including Charles Messier. He discovered the variability of Eta Aquilae on September 10, 1784; was the first known variable that was part of the group of Cepheid variables and discovery occurred when only a dozen variables were known, and six of them were novae and supernovae. In the following years Pigott often worked with his friend John Goodricke, who then died in 1786, observing the variability of Delta Cephei. He also discovered, in 1795, the variables R Coronae Borealis and R Scuti.

The asteroid 10220 Pigott, discovered on October 20, 1997 by Roy A. Tucker and previously designated 1997 UG7, was named in his honor. Links externalize the wikitesto

wiki