Carl Gustav Witt

Carl Gustav Witt (October 29, 1866 – January 3, 1946) was a German astronomer and discoverer of two asteroids who worked at the Berlin Urania Observatory, a popular observatory of the Urania astronomical association of Berlin.[2]

Carl Gustav Witt
Born(1866-10-29)October 29, 1866
Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia
DiedJanuary 3, 1946(1946-01-03) (aged 79)
NationalityGerman
Alma materFriedrich-Wilhelms-Universität
Known fordiscovery of asteroids
AwardsIron Cross 2nd Class,
2732 Witt is named after him
Scientific career
FieldsAstronomy
InstitutionsFriedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, Urania Sternwarte Berlin
Doctoral advisorJulius Bauschinger
Asteroids discovered: 2 [1]
422 BerolinaOctober 8, 1896
433 ErosAugust 13, 1898

He wrote a doctoral thesis under the direction of Julius Bauschinger.

Witt discovered two asteroids, most notably 433 Eros, the first asteroid with a male name, and the first known near-Earth object.[3][4] His first minor planet discovery was the main-belt asteroid 422 Berolina, that bears the Latin name of his adoptive city.[5]

The minor planet 2732 Witt – an A-type asteroid from the main-belt, discovered by Max Wolf at Heidelberg Observatory in 1926 – was named in his memory by American astronomer and MPC's longtime director, Brian G. Marsden.[2] Naming citation was published on 22 September 1983 (M.P.C. 8153).[6]

References
  1. "Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  2. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(2732) Witt". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (2732) Witt. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 224. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_2733. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. "433 Eros (1898 DQ)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  4. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(433) Eros". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (433) Eros. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 50. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_434. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  5. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(422) Berolina". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (422) Berolina. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 49. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_423. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  6. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 12 July 2016.


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