Anton Thraen

Anton Thraen ( born January 17, 1843 in Holungen, † December 18, 1902 in Dingelstädt ) was a German Catholic priest, astronomer, and the namesake for the two asteroids (442 ) Eichsfeldia and ( 443) Photography. According to him even the main belt asteroid ( 4098 ) Thraen was named in 1989.

Life

He was born on January 17, 1843 in Holungen, here he visited the former elementary school. In 1863 he graduated from high school Holy City and then studied in Münster ( 1863-1866 ) and Paderborn ( 1866-1868 ) theology. Already in Münster, he also finished mathematical and astronomical lectures and helped in the observatory with. He was ordained a priest in 1868 by Bishop Konrad Martin Confessor, followed by three years in Niederorschel Kaplan ( 1871-1883 ). From 1883 until his death he served as pastor in Dingelstädt. Since at that time there was great shortage of priests, he had a severe service in pastoral ministry, but selflessly contributed by charitable collections for the expansion of the hospital and the parish church at Dingelstädt.

Activity as an astronomer

In the evening and at night he often observed with his telescope the night sky. In addition, he performed at many contributions to the orbit determination of comets and asteroids that have been published in international journals. Even after his blindness in his left eye, he continued this work. His exact path calculations enabled more extensive observations of each celestial body, and the publications in the " Astronomische Nachrichten " was the recognition of his colleagues.

He intensively observed among other short-period comets III (Wolf): 1884-1885, he contributed 950 observations from 1891 to 1892 also 681 observations, from which he was finally able to predict the third recurrence of this comet accurate to the second. Furthermore Thraen discovered several new minor planets, the name " Eichsfeldia " and " Photography " received from Heidelberg Professor Max Wolf on the desire Thraens, especially Thraen had calculated the perturbations by the major planets and also precise orbital elements.

The state of Prussia honored the priest astronomers in 1900 with the award of Order of the Red Eagle IV class. Even before met at such a successful lover astronomers an appreciative letter of many scientists of world renown. He personally met until 1902 at the Göttingen meeting of the Astronomical Society know many of these astronomers, with whom he had contact for years only by letter. In August of the same year incurable suffering threw him to the sick bed. He died at his stomach ailment on December 18, 1902.

Aftermath

Dr. Bömgen from the Karl Schwarzschild Observatory Taut mountain struck 1989, to name the newly discovered planetoids Tautenburger No. 4098 with the name of Dingelstädter priest and astronomer. The main belt asteroid ( 4098 ) Thraen has an approximate diameter of 9 km. At Thraens parents' house in Holungen a plaque was placed in 1956. The city Dingelstädt named a street after him.

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