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Carl Gustav Witt

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German astronomer (1866–1946)
Carl Gustav Witt
Born(1866-10-29)29 October 1866
Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia
Died3 January 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 
422 Berolina 8 October 1896
433 Eros 13 August 1898

Carl Gustav Witt (29 October 1866 – 3 January 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.

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. His first minor planet discovery was the main-belt asteroid 422 Berolina, that bears the Latin name of his adoptive city.

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. Naming citation was published on 22 September 1983 (M.P.C. 8153).

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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