André Patry (22 November 1902 – 20 June 1960) was a French

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...

and discoverer of 9 minor planets in the late 1930s. Patry was orphaned at a young age, and began working as a 17-year-old at the

Nice Observatory The Nice Observatory () 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 (architect), Charles Garnier, ...

in southeastern France. He studied

asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...

s and discovered several himself. The inner main-belt asteroid 1601 Patry was named in his honor ().

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Obituary – JO 43 (1960) 156
1902 births 1960 deaths Discoverers of asteroids * 20th-century French astronomers {{france-astronomer-stub