Louis Boyer (1901–1999) was a French

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, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...

who worked at the

Algiers Observatory The Algiers Observatory was built in the late 19th century in the Algiers suburb of Bouzaréah, Algeria, North Africa. It participated in the Astrographic Catalogue project, taking the zone between -2 and +4 degrees to expose 1,260 plates between ...

, North Africa, where he discovered 40

asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...

s between 1930 and 1952. In the 1950s and 1960s. he worked on identifications of small Solar System bodies at

Nice Observatory The Nice Observatory (french: Observatoire de Nice) is an astronomical observatory located in Nice, France on the summit of Mount Gros. The observatory was founded in 1879, by the banker Raphaël Bischoffsheim. The architect was Charles Garnier, ...

in southeastern France. The asteroid

1215 Boyer 1215 Boyer, provisional designation , is a stony Eunomian asteroid from the central region of the asteroid belt, approximately 20 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by astronomer Alfred Schmitt in 1932, who named it after French astronomer ...

, discovered by his colleague

Alfred Schmitt Alfred Schmitt (30 November 1907 – 2 April 1973) was a French astronomer. Schmitt worked at Algiers Observatory in the 1930s and 1940s and at the Royal Observatory in Uccle, Belgium in the 1950s. From 1955 to 1958 he was also director of the ...

at Algiers in 1932, was named after him. In turn Boyer named the

1617 Alschmitt 1617 Alschmitt, provisional designation , is an assumed carbonaceous asteroid from in the outer parts of the main belt, approximately 30 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 20 March 1952, by French astronomer Louis Boyer at Algiers Obse ...

asteroid in honor of Schmitt. Boyer also named

1713 Bancilhon 1713 Bancilhon, provisional designation , is an asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 5.7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 27 September 1951, by French astronomer Louis Boyer at Algiers Observatory in A ...

after

Odette Bancilhon Odette Bancilhon (22 September 1908 – 1998) was a French astronomer. She is best known for her work during the 1930s and 1940s at the Algiers Observatory, in Algeria, North Africa, where she discovered 1333 Cevenola, a stony Eunomian asteroid f ...

his colleague and wife of astronomer Alfred Schmitt.

References

20th-century French astronomers * 1901 births 1999 deaths Discoverers of asteroids Recipients of the Lalande Prize {{france-astronomer-stub