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.
Carl Gustav Witt | |
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Born | |
Died | 3 January 1946 | (aged 79)
Nationality | German |
Alma mater | Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität |
Known for | discovery of asteroids |
Awards | Iron Cross 2nd Class, 2732 Witt is named after him |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Astronomy |
Institutions | Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, Urania Sternwarte Berlin |
Doctoral advisor | Julius Bauschinger |
422 Berolina | 8 October 1896 |
433 Eros | 13 August 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. 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).
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