Milan Antal (1935–1999) was a Slovak

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 ...

. While working at Skalnaté Pleso Observatory and at the

Toruń Centre for Astronomy The Institute of Astronomy of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, known prior to 1 October 2019 in scientific publications as the Toruń Centre for Astronomy, is an optical and radio observatory located at () in Piwnice, about 15 k ...

from 1971–1988, he discovered 17

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 ''minor ...

s, including the asteroid

1807 Slovakia 1807 Slovakia, provisional designation , is a stony asteroid and List of slow rotators (minor planets), slow rotator from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 9 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 20 August 1971, by Slov ...

and the three unnamed Jupiter trojans , and . A distinguished observer of comets and minor planets, he has determined exact

astrometric Astrometry is a branch of astronomy that involves precise measurements of the positions and movements of stars and other celestial bodies. It provides the kinematics and physical origin of the Solar System and this galaxy, the Milky Way. Histor ...

positions from photographic plates for many thousands of small Solar System bodies. The main-belt asteroid 6717 Antal, discovered by German astronomers

Freimut Börngen Freimut Börngen (; 17 October 1930 – 19 June 2021) was a German astronomer and a prolific discoverer of minor planets. A few sources give his first name wrongly as "Freimuth". The Minor Planet Center credits him as F. Borngen. He studied ga ...

and

Lutz Schmadel Lutz Dieter Schmadel (2 July 1942, in Berlin – 21 October 2016) was a German astronomer and a prolific discoverer of asteroids, who worked at the Astronomisches Rechen-Institut (ARI) of the University of Heidelberg. His special interest was t ...

in 1990, is named in his honour.

References

1935 births 1999 deaths 20th-century astronomers Slovak astronomers Discoverers of asteroids * {{slovakia-scientist-stub