Carl A. Wirtanen

Carl Alvar Wirtanen (November 11, 1910, Kenosha, Wisconsin – March 7, 1990 Santa Cruz, California) was an American astronomer and discoverer of comets and minor planets who worked at Lick Observatory.[2][3] He was of Finnish ancestry.

Minor planets discovered: 8 [1]
1600 Vyssotsky	October 22, 1947
1685 Toro	July 17, 1948
1747 Wright	July 14, 1947
1863 Antinous	March 7, 1948
1951 Lick	July 26, 1949
2044 Wirt	November 8, 1950
6107 Osterbrock	January 14, 1948
(29075) 1950 DA	February 22, 1950

Wirtanen discovered periodic comet 46P/Wirtanen, as well as eight asteroids, including notably the Apollo asteroid (29075) 1950 DA, which may have a non-negligible probability of impacting the Earth in the year 2880. He also discovered two other Apollo asteroids: 1685 Toro and 1863 Antinous. Based on the Shane–Wirtanen survey, the Shane Wirtanen Catalogue, a count of galaxies, was his major work published in 1954.[4]

The asteroid 2044 Wirt, discovered by himself at Lick Observatory in 1950, was named in his honor in on 1 January 1981 (M.P.C. 5688). The name was proposed by his colleague Arnold Klemola.[3][5]

References

"Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
Klemola, Arnold Richard (September 1991). "Obituary: Carl Alvar Wirtanen, 1910-1990". Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society. 23 (4): 1495–1496. Bibcode:1991BAAS...23.1495K. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(2044) Wirt". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (2044) Wirt. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 166. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_2045. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
Brown, Michael E.; Groth, Edward J. (March 1989). "The Shane Wirtanen counts – Observability of the galaxy correlation function" (PDF). Astrophysical Journal. 338: 605–617. Bibcode:1989ApJ...338..605B. doi:10.1086/167222.
"MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 12 July 2016.

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[MPC-Discoverers-1] "Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.

[Obituary-by-Klemola-2] Klemola, Arnold Richard (September 1991). "Obituary: Carl Alvar Wirtanen, 1910-1990". Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society. 23 (4): 1495–1496. Bibcode:1991BAAS...23.1495K. Retrieved 12 July 2016.

[springer-3] Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(2044) Wirt". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (2044) Wirt. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 166. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_2045. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.

[Brown-1989-4] Brown, Michael E.; Groth, Edward J. (March 1989). "The Shane Wirtanen counts – Observability of the galaxy correlation function" (PDF). Astrophysical Journal. 338: 605–617. Bibcode:1989ApJ...338..605B. doi:10.1086/167222.

[MPC-Circulars-Archive-5] "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 12 July 2016.