german minor planet discoverers - list of german astronommers (amateurs and professionals) who have received individual discovery credits from Minor Planet Center (MPC) Last updated on 2025-10-26 by E. Schwab. # discoverer discoveries status period discovery places Entdecker Anzahl Entd. Zeitraum Entdeckungs-Standorte 1. Bickel, Wolf *1942 1253 amateur 1995-2017 Bergisch Gladbach (Germany) 2. Hönig, Sebastian F. *1978 581 amateur 2001-2008 Palomar-NEAT archive, Punaauia (Polynesia), La Silla (Chile) 3. Börngen, Freimut 1930-2021 538 professional 1961-1995 Tautenburg (Germany) 4. Reinmuth, Karl 1892-1979 395 professional 1914-1957 Heidelberg (Germany) 5. Wolf, Max F. 1863-1932 248 professional 1891-1932 Heidelberg (Germany) 6. Hormuth, Felix°°° *1975 246 professional 2003-2013 Heppenheim (Germany), Heidelberg (Germany), Calar Alto (Spain) Schmadel, Lutz D. 1942-2016 246 professional 1960-1993 Tautenburg (Germany), La Silla (Chile), Palomar-Leiden archive 8. Apitzsch, Rolf *1943 127 amateur 2004-2017 Wildberg (Germany), Mayhill (USA) 9. Schwab, Erwin *1964 119 amateur 2006-2021 Taunus (Germany), Mayhill (USA), Moorook (Australia), Calar Alto (Spain), Heppenheim (Germany)° 10. Kling, Rainer *1952 104 amateur 2006-2011 Taunus (Germany) 11. Altmann, Martin n.a. 95 professional 2014-2020 Cerro Paranal (Chile) 12. Karge, Stefan *1963 73 amateur 2007-2011 Taunus (Germany), Mayhill (USA) 13. Kopff, August 1882-1960 68 professional 1904-1909 Heidelberg (Germany) 14. Hellmich, Stephan *1981 58 professional 2012-2019 Calar Alto (Spain) 15. Scholl, Hans *1942 56 professional 2003-2005 La Silla (Chile) 16. Peters, Christian H.F. 1813-1890 48 professional 1861-1889 Clinton (USA) 17. Lehmann, Gerhard *1960 35 amateur 1998-2014 Drebach (Germany), Tivoli (Namibia), Vicques (Switzerland) 18. Knöfel, André *1963 30 amateur 1998-2014 Drebach (Germany), Tivoli (Namibia) 19. Kandler, Jens *1973 26 amateur 1997-2005 Drebach (Germany) Zimmer, Ute *1964 26 amateur 2007-2011 Taunus (Germany) 21. Schuster, Hans-Emil *1934 25 professional 1976-1982 La Silla (Chile) 22. Luther, Robert 1822-1900 24 professional 1852-1890 Düsseldorf(Germany) 23. Schwassmann, Arnold 1870-1964 22 professional 1898-1932 Heidelberg (Germany), Bergedorf (Germany) 24. Kaiser, Franz 1891-1962 21 professional 1911-1914 Heidelberg (Germany) 25. Götz, Paul 1883-1962 20 professional 1903-1905 Heidelberg (Germany) 26. Proffe, Gerrit n.a. 19 professional 2013-2014 Calar Alto (Spain) 27. Jahn, Jost *1959 18 amateur 2013-2015 Haute Provence (France), Siding Spring (Australia) 28. Meyer, Maik *1970 16 amateur 2002 Palomar-NEAT archive 29. Baur, Johann Martin 1930-2007 15 amateur 1987-1990 Calar Alto (Spain), Chions (Italy) 30. Goldschmidt, Hermann 1802-1866 14 amateur 1852-1861 Paris (France) 31. Busch, Matthias *1968 13 amateur 2009 Tenerife (Spain), Heppenheim (Germany)° Helffrich, Josef 1890-1971 13 professional 1909-1911 Heidelberg (Germany) Kresken, Rainer *1962 13 amateur 2009 Tenerife (Spain), Heppenheim (Germany)° 34. Datson, Juliet Clare *1980 11 professional 2009 Calar Alto (Spain) 35. Baade, Walter 1893-1960 10 professional 1920-1949 Bergedorf (Germany), Palomar (USA), Mount Wilson (USA) 36. Birkle, Kurt 1939-2010 9 professional 1989-1993 Calar Alto (Spain) Bohrmann, Alfred 1904-2000 9 professional 1936-1938 Heidelberg (Germany) Klein, Marcel *1984 9 amateur 2010-2011 Hagen (Germany) Kretlow, Mike *1967 9 amateur 2002 Trebur (Germany) Stoss, Reiner M.°° *1975 9 amateur 1960-2007 Palomar-Leiden and Palomar-NEAT archives, Calar Alto (Spain), Heppenheim (Germany) 41. Fiedler, Martin *1978 7 amateur 2005-2007 Radebeul (Germany) Landgraf, Werner *1959 7 professional 1987-1989 La Silla (Chile) Massinger, Adam 1888-1914 7 professional 1912-1914 Heidelberg (Germany) 44. Lorenz, Joachim *1955 6 amateur 2004-2005 Hormersdorf (Germany) Süßenberger, Uwe *1959 6 amateur 2006-2012 Bergen-Enkheim (Germany) 46. Ehring, Norbert *1937 5 amateur 1997-1999 Bornheim (Germany) Geffert, Michael *1953 5 professional 1989 La Silla (Chile) Hahn, Gerhard n.a. 5 professional 2013 Calar Alto (Spain) Hoffmeister, Cuno 1892-1968 5 professional 1938-1963 Sonneberg and Tautenburg (Germany), Bloemfontein (South Africa) Kracht, Rainer *1948 5 amateur 2009-2010 Sonoita (USA), Sierra Stars (USA) Tempel, E. Wilhelm 1821-1889 5 professional 1861-1868 Marseilles (France) 52. Knorre, Victor 1840-1919 4 professional 1876-1887 Berlin (Germany) Lohnert, Karl 1885-1944 4 professional 1906-1907 Heidelberg (Germany) Lorenz, Karl Wilhelm 1886-1918 4 professional 1908-1909 Heidelberg (Germany) Payer, Thomas *1978 4 amateur 2002-2003 Essen (Germany) 56. Bill, Harald *1964 3 amateur 2010-2011 Siegen (Germany), Mayhill (USA) Emmerich, Mark *1967 3 amateur 2009-2010 Weinheim Guidestar (Germany) Hartmann, Johannes F. 1865-1936 3 professional 1921-1932 La Plata (Argentina) Kirsch, Karsten *1956 3 professional 1973-1981 Tautenburg (Germany) Koch, Bernd *1955 3 amateur 1997 Solingen (Germany) Koschny, Detlef *1962 3 professional 2017-2021 Calar Alto (Spain) Martin, Axel *1968 3 amateur 2002-2007 Mülheim-Ruhr (Germany) Melchert, Sven *1968 3 amateur 2009-2010 Weinheim Guidestar (Germany) Sala, Paolo *1954 3 amateur 1997-1999 Giesing (Germany) Stock, Jürgen 1923-2004 3 professional 1992 Merida (Venezuela) Wachmann, Arno Arthur 1902-1990 3 professional 1938-1939 Bergedorf (Germany) 67. Böker, Andreas 1964-2011 2 amateur 2002-2007 Mülheim-Ruhr (Germany) Dieckvoß, Wilhelm 1908-1982 2 professional 1938 Bergedorf (Germany) Häusler, Bernhard *1957 2 amateur 2009-2012 Maidbronn (Germany) Hencke, Karl Ludwig 1793-1866 2 amateur 1845-1847 Driesen (Germany, since 1945 to Poland) König, Michael *1966 2 amateur 2007 Rimbach (Germany) Koldewey, Eberhard *1937 2 professional 1995 La Silla (Chile) Olbers, Heinrich W. M. 1758-1840 2 amateur 1802-1807 Bremen (Germany) Schorr, Richard R. E. 1867-1951 2 professional 1917-1932 Bergedorf (Germany) Schubart, Joachim *1928 2 professional 1960-1961 Sonneberg (Germany), Tautenburg (Germany) Thinius, Bernd *1959 2 amateur 2008-2009 Potsdam (Germany) Tiedtke, Jürgen *1966 2 amateur 2010 Hagen (Germany) Witt, Carl Gustav 1866-1946 2 professional 1896-1898 Berlin (Germany) Wolff, Ulrich *1964 2 amateur 2005 Mayhill (USA) 80. Boehnhardt, Hermann n.a. 1 professional 1993 Calar Alto (Spain) d'Arrest, Heinrich Luis1822-1875 1 professional 1862 Copenhagen (Denmark) de Ball, Leo Anton Karl1853-1916 1 professional 1882 Bothkamp (Germany) Duschl, Wolfgang J. *1958 1 professional 2004 La Silla (Chile) Ernst, Emil 1889-1942 1 professional 1910 Heidelberg (Germany) Foerster, Wilh. Julius 1832-1921 1 professional 1860 Berlin (Germany) Gessner, Herta n.a. 1 professional 1953 Sonneberg (Germany) Harding, Karl Ludwig 1765-1843 1 professional 1804 Lilienthal (Germany) Hopp, Ulrich n.a. 1 professional 1992 Calar Alto (Spain) Husar, Dieter *1947 1 amateur 2001 Hakos (Namibia) Jackisch, Gerhard 1924-2008 1 professional 1959 Heidelberg (Germany) König, Arthur 1895-1969 1 professional 1959 Heidelberg (Germany) Kranz, Thilo n.a. 1 professional 1999 La Silla (Chile) Kurtze, Lothar *1972 1 amateur 2002 Weinheim (Germany), Heppenheim (Germany)° Lesser, Otto 1830-1887 1 professional 1860 Berlin (Germany) Ludwig, Frank n.a. 1 professional 2016 Tautenburg (Germany) Marth, Albert 1828-1897 1 professional 1854 London (England) Roclawski, Heiner *1963 1 amateur 2004 Sögel (Germany) Sandig, Hans-Ullrich 1909-1979 1 professional 1937 Bergedorf (Germany) Staus, Anton 1872-1955 1 professional 1892 Heidelberg (Germany) Tietjen, Friedrich 1834-1895 1 professional 1866 Berlin (Germany) Vogt, Heinrich 1890-1968 1 professional 1912 Heidelberg (Germany) Wenzel, Wolfgang 1929-2021 1 professional 1959 Heidelberg (Germany) Wolf, Christian n.a. 1 professional 1999 La Silla (Chile) The list includes all german individual discoverers. Discoveries which are defined by Minor Planet Center (MPC) as team discoveries are not taken into account. multiple Names for single discoverer at MPC: Lutz D. Schmadel: L. D. Schmadel and L.D. Schmadel Reiner Michael Stoss: R. M. Stoss and R. Stoss °°° Mr. Hormuth did his first three discoveries as amateur (Heppenheim) all others as professional astronomer. °° Mr. Stoss seems to had discovered minor planets before he was born, that's not the case. He found some objects in 2007-2008 on digitized Palomar-Leiden plates, taken in 1960. ° Most discoveries at Heppenheim were credited as team-discoveries. Only two observers got individual discovery credits there. The symbol ° indicate that this person only got team credits at Heppenheim, which are not taken into account in this statistic. ==== References ==== References, offline from following books: Lutz D. Schmadel. Dictionary of minor planet names (6th Edition). Springer Verlag, Berlin/Heidelberg 2012, ISBN 978-3-642-29717-5 Erwin Schwab. Kleinplaneten-Entdeckungen in Deutschland. Epubli Verlag, Berlin 2016, ISBN 978-3-741-80915-6 References, online at Minor Planet Center: http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/MPDiscsNum.html http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/NumberedMPs.html http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minor_planet_discoverers