Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth


see

Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth was a German astronomer and a prolific discoverer of 395 minor planets.

Scientific career

From 1912 to 1957, Reinmuth was working as an astronomer at the Heidelberg Observatory an astronomical observatory on the Königstuhl hill above Heidelberg in southern Germany. He was a member at the minor planet studies group at Astronomisches Rechen-Institut between 1947 and 1950, and later became "Oberobservator" or chief-observer at Heidelberg Observatory until his retirement in 1957. Reinmuth obtained more than 12,500 precise astrometric measurements of minor planets' positions on photographic plates, an enormous accomplishment before computer-based assistance existed.

Honours

The outer main-belt asteroid 1111 Reinmuthia, discovered by himself at Heidelberg in 1912, was named in his honour.

Discoveries

Among his most notable discoveries are the two near-Earth objects 1862 Apollo, the namesake of the Apollo group which became the largest group of asteroids within the NEO category with nearly 8,000 members, and 69230 Hermes, famous for being a lost asteroid for more than half a century until its recovery in 2003, and for being the only unnumbered but named asteroid during that period.
He also discovered several large Jupiter trojans including 911 Agamemnon, 1143 Odysseus, 1172 Äneas, 1173 Anchises, 1208 Troilus, 1404 Ajax, 1437 Diomedes and 1749 Telamon. The main-belt asteroid 5535 Annefrank, which he discovered in 1942 during World War II, was later visited by the Stardust spacecraft in 2002. His lowest numbered minor planet discovery is 796 Sarita, an asteroid from the middle region of the main-belt. Reinmuth also discovered two periodic comets of the Jupiter family, namely 30P/Reinmuth and 44P/Reinmuth.

Meta-naming

The initials of the minor planets through, all discovered by Reinmuth, spell out "G. Stracke". Gustav Stracke was a German astronomer and orbit computer, who had asked that no planet be named after him. In this manner Reinmuth was able to honour the man whilst also honouring his wish:
Later 1019 Strackea, also discovered by Reinmuth, was named after Stracke.

List of discovered minor planets

Karl Reinmuth is credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of 395 minor planets made during 1914–1957, with an interruption from April 1943 to July 1949 due to the end and the aftermath of WWII.
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796 Sarita15 October 1914
799 Gudula9 March 1915
864 Aase30 September 1921
909 Ulla7 February 1919
910 Anneliese1 March 1919
911 Agamemnon19 March 1919
913 Otila19 May 1919
918 Itha22 August 1919
920 Rogeria1 September 1919
921 Jovita4 September 1919
922 Schlutia18 September 1919
923 Herluga30 September 1919
924 Toni20 October 1919
926 Imhilde15 February 1920
928 Hildrun23 February 1920
929 Algunde10 March 1920
933 Susi10 February 1927
935 Clivia7 September 1920
936 Kunigunde8 September 1920
937 Bethgea12 September 1920

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974 Lioba18 March 1922
979 Ilsewa29 June 1922
983 Gunila30 July 1922
984 Gretia27 August 1922
985 Rosina14 October 1922
987 Wallia23 October 1922
994 Otthild18 March 1923
997 Priska12 July 1923
998 Bodea6 August 1923
999 Zachia9 August 1923
1000 Piazzia12 August 1923
1003 Lilofee13 September 1923
1009 Sirene31 October 1923
1010 Marlene12 November 1923
1011 Laodamia5 January 1924
1012 Sarema12 January 1924
1014 Semphyra29 January 1924
1015 Christa31 January 1924
1016 Anitra31 January 1924
1018 Arnolda3 March 1924

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1064 Aethusa2 August 1926
1066 Lobelia1 September 1926
1067 Lunaria9 September 1926
1070 Tunica1 September 1926
1072 Malva4 October 1926
1076 Viola5 October 1926
1077 Campanula6 October 1926
1078 Mentha7 December 1926
1080 Orchis30 August 1927
1081 Reseda31 August 1927
1082 Pirola28 October 1927
1083 Salvia26 January 1928
1085 Amaryllis31 August 1927
1087 Arabis2 September 1927
1091 Spiraea26 February 1928
1092 Lilium12 January 1924
1095 Tulipa14 April 1926
1097 Vicia11 August 1928
1100 Arnica22 September 1928
1101 Clematis22 September 1928

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1157 Arabia31 August 1929
1159 Granada2 September 1929
1160 Illyria9 September 1929
1161 Thessalia29 September 1929
1162 Larissa5 January 1930
1163 Saga20 January 1930
1164 Kobolda19 March 1930
1172 Äneas17 October 1930
1173 Anchises17 October 1930
1174 Marmara17 October 1930
1175 Margo17 October 1930
1180 Rita9 April 1931
1182 Ilona3 March 1927
1183 Jutta22 February 1930
1184 Gaea5 September 1926
1187 Afra6 December 1929
1198 Atlantis7 September 1931
1200 Imperatrix14 September 1931
1201 Strenua14 September 1931
1204 Renzia6 October 1931

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1251 Hedera25 January 1933
1253 Frisia9 October 1931
1256 Normannia8 August 1932
1257 Mora8 August 1932
1258 Sicilia8 August 1932
1259 Ógyalla29 January 1933
1260 Walhalla29 January 1933
1272 Gefion10 October 1931
1273 Helma8 August 1932
1275 Cimbria30 November 1932
1284 Latvia27 July 1933
1297 Quadea7 January 1934
1298 Nocturna7 January 1934
1302 Werra28 September 1924
1304 Arosa21 May 1928
1308 Halleria12 March 1931
1311 Knopfia24 March 1933
1317 Silvretta1 September 1935
1322 Coppernicus15 June 1934
1334 Lundmarka16 July 1934

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1438 Wendeline11 October 1937
1439 Vogtia11 October 1937
1440 Rostia11 October 1937
1443 Ruppina29 December 1937
1457 Ankara3 August 1937
1466 Mündleria31 May 1938
1469 Linzia19 August 1938
1481 Tübingia7 February 1938
1482 Sebastiana20 February 1938
1485 Isa28 July 1938
1487 Boda17 November 1938
1502 Arenda17 November 1938
1528 Conrada10 February 1940
1553 Bauersfelda13 January 1940
1556 Wingolfia14 January 1942
1557 Roehla14 January 1942
1561 Fricke15 February 1941
1562 Gondolatsch9 March 1943
1587 Kahrstedt25 March 1933
1611 Beyer17 February 1950

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1716 Peter4 April 1934
1719 Jens17 February 1950
1720 Niels7 February 1935
1726 Hoffmeister24 July 1933
1732 Heike9 March 1943
1739 Meyermann15 August 1939
1742 Schaifers7 September 1934
1749 Telamon23 September 1949
1750 Eckert15 July 1950
1759 Kienle11 September 1942
1782 Schneller6 October 1931
1785 Wurm15 February 1941
1814 Bach9 October 1931
1815 Beethoven27 January 1932
1818 Brahms15 August 1939
1820 Lohmann2 August 1949
1823 Gliese4 September 1951
1825 Klare31 August 1954
1849 Kresák14 January 1942
1850 Kohoutek23 March 1942

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2235 Vittore5 April 1924
2236 Austrasia23 March 1933
2248 Kanda27 February 1933
2249 Yamamoto6 April 1942
2278 Götz7 April 1953
2290 Helffrich14 February 1932
2306 Bauschinger15 August 1939
2346 Lilio5 February 1934
2358 Bahner2 September 1929
2359 Debehogne5 October 1931
2391 Tomita9 January 1957
2414 Vibeke18 October 1931
2444 Lederle5 February 1934
2453 Wabash30 September 1921
2465 Wilson2 August 1949
2485 Scheffler29 January 1932
2500 Alascattalo2 April 1926
2537 Gilmore4 September 1951
2560 Siegma14 February 1932
2572 Annschnell17 February 1950

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3020 Naudts2 August 1949
3035 Chambers7 March 1924
3144 Brosche10 October 1931
3183 Franzkaiser2 August 1949
3219 Komaki4 February 1934
3227 Hasegawa24 February 1928
3263 Bligh5 February 1932
3264 Bounty7 January 1934
3265 Fletcher9 November 1953
3289 Mitani7 September 1934
3295 Murakami17 February 1950
3370 Kohsai4 February 1934
3379 Oishi6 October 1931
3383 Koyama9 January 1951
3404 Hinderer4 February 1934
3415 Danby22 September 1928
3416 Dorrit8 November 1931
3417 Tamblyn1 April 1937
3425 Hurukawa29 January 1929
3426 Seki5 February 1932

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4418 Fredfranklin9 October 1931
4419 Allancook24 April 1932
4421 Kayor14 January 1942
4589 McDowell24 July 1933
4615 Zinner13 September 1923
4647 Syuji9 October 1931
4648 Tirion18 October 1931
4650 Mori5 October 1950
4723 Wolfgangmattig11 October 1937
4808 Ballaero21 January 1925
4849 Ardenne17 August 1936
4910 Kawasato11 August 1953
4979 Otawara2 August 1949
5072 Hioki9 October 1931
5152 Labs18 October 1931
5494 Johanmohr19 October 1933
5532 Ichinohe14 February 1932
5535 Annefrank23 March 1942
5657 Groombridge28 August 1936
5658 Clausbaader17 February 1950