Arno Arthur Wachmann (8 March 1902 – 24 July 1990) was a German

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies – in either ...

and discoverer of

comet A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that, when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases, a process that is called outgassing. This produces a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena ...

s and

minor planet According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a minor planet is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the Sun that is exclusively classified as neither a planet nor a comet. Before 2006, the IAU officially used the term ''mino ...

s, who worked for many years at the

Bergedorf Observatory Hamburg Observatory (german: Hamburger Sternwarte) is an astronomical observatory located in the Bergedorf borough of the city of Hamburg in northern Germany. It is owned and operated by the University of Hamburg, Germany since 1968, although it ...

in Hamburg.“Wachmann, Arno Arthur,”''Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers''
Springer Link, Sept. 2007, p. 1188. With

Arnold Schwassmann Friedrich Karl Arnold Schwassmann (25 March 1870 – 19 January 1964) was a German astronomer and a discoverer of 22 minor planets and 4 comets, who worked at AOP in Potsdam and at Bergedorf Observatory in Hamburg. He was co-discoverer with Ar ...

he co-discovered the

periodic comet Periodic comets (also known as short-period comets) are comets with orbital periods of less than 200 years or that have been observed during more than a single perihelion passage (e.g. 153P/Ikeya–Zhang). "Periodic comet" is also sometimes used ...

s 29P/Schwassmann–Wachmann,

31P/Schwassmann–Wachmann 31P/Schwassmann–Wachmann, also known as Schwassmann–Wachmann 2, is a periodic comet in the Solar System. It was discovered on January 17, 1929, at an apparent magnitude of 11.Cometography Home Page The comet has been seen at every apparition ...

and

73P/Schwassmann–Wachmann 73P/Schwassmann–Wachmann, also known as Schwassmann–Wachmann 3, is a periodic comet that has a 5.4 year orbital period and that has been actively disintegrating since 1995. It last came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) in March 20 ...

. The Minor Planet Center credits him with the discovery of 3 asteroids during 1938–1939. The inner main-belt asteroid

1704 Wachmann 1704 Wachmann, provisional designation , is a stony asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observatory on 7 March 1924. It w ...

was named in his honor ().

Reference Notes

1902 births 1990 deaths Discoverers of asteroids Discoverers of comets * 20th-century German astronomers {{Germany-astronomer-stub