Luboš Kohoutek

Minor planets discovered: 76 <ref name="MPC-Discoverers" />

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Luboš Kohoutek ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}; 29 January 1935 – 30 December 2023) was a Czech astronomer and a discoverer of minor planets and comets, including Comet Kohoutek which was visible to the naked eye in 1973.<ref name="springer" /><ref name="Hidden-treasures" /> He also discovered a large number of planetary nebulae.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Biography

Kohoutek was born on 29 January 1935 to Hynek and Jarmila Kohoutek. His brother was the Czech composer Ctirad Kohoutek.

Kohoutek was interested in astronomy since high school. He studied physics and astronomy at universities in Brno and Prague (finished 1958). Then he started to work in the Astronomical Institute of Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, where he published a well-cited catalogue (Catalogue of Galactic Planetary Nebulae, 1967). Kohoutek obtained a long term position at the Bergedorf Observatory in Hamburg. After the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia (1968) he decided to stay in West Germany (1970). His discoveries in the 1970s made him well-known in the media. In later years, Kohoutek worked in observatories in Spain and Chile, studying planetary nebulae. He officially retired in 2001, yet kept researching at the Hamburg-Bergedorf Observatory. Kohoutek published 162 scientific works.<ref name="Hidden-treasures" />

File:S74-15064 Lobus Kohoutek.jpg

Kohoutek at NASA Johnson Space Center mission control center during Skylab 4 mission talking with the astronauts on board about the Comet Kohoutek observations

Kohoutek is most famous for his discovery of numerous comets, including periodic comets 75D/Kohoutek and 76P/West–Kohoutek–Ikemura, as well as the famously disappointing "Comet Kohoutek" (C/1973 E1).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Kohoutek also discovered numerous asteroids, including the Apollo asteroid 1865 Cerberus. The main-belt asteroid 1850 Kohoutek was named after him.<ref name="springer" />

Kohoutek died on 30 December 2023, at the age of 88.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Discoveries

Kohoutek discovered supernova SN 1973f, 5 comets, and 76 minor planets.

List of discovered comets

• 75D/Kohoutek
• 76P/West–Kohoutek–Ikemura
• Comet Kohoutek C/1973 E1 (Kohoutek)
• C/1969 O1-A (Kohoutek)
• C/1973 D1 (Kohoutek)

List of discovered minor planets

1834 Palach	22 August 1969	Template:Small
1840 Hus	26 October 1971	Template:Small
1841 Masaryk	26 October 1971	Template:Small
1842 Hynek	14 January 1972	Template:Small
1843 Jarmila	14 January 1972	Template:Small
1861 Komenský	24 November 1970	Template:Small
1865 Cerberus	26 October 1971	Template:Small
1875 Neruda	22 August 1969	Template:Small
1894 Haffner	26 October 1971	Template:Small
1895 Larink	26 October 1971	Template:Small
1896 Beer	26 October 1971	Template:Small
1897 Hind	26 October 1971	Template:Small
1898 Cowell	26 October 1971	Template:Small
1899 Crommelin	26 October 1971	Template:Small
1901 Moravia	14 January 1972	Template:Small
1931 Čapek	22 August 1969	Template:Small
1932 Jansky	26 October 1971	Template:Small
1933 Tinchen	14 January 1972	Template:Small
1942 Jablunka	30 September 1972	Template:Small
1963 Bezovec	9 February 1975	Template:Small

1995 Hajek	26 October 1971	Template:Small
1999 Hirayama	27 February 1973	Template:Small
2047 Smetana	26 October 1971	Template:Small
2055 Dvořák	19 February 1974	Template:Small
2073 Janáček	19 February 1974	Template:Small
2281 Biela	26 October 1971	Template:Small
2375 Radek	8 January 1975	Template:Small
2407 Haug	27 February 1973	Template:Small
2418 Voskovec-Werich	26 October 1971	Template:Small
2472 Bradman	27 February 1973	Template:Small
2541 Edebono	27 February 1973	Template:Small
2667 Oikawa	30 October 1967	Template:Small
2767 Takenouchi	30 October 1967	Template:Small
2838 Takase	26 October 1971	Template:Small
2900 Lubos Perek	14 January 1972	Template:Small
2901 Bagehot	27 February 1973	Template:Small
3081 Martinůboh	26 October 1971	Template:Small
3109 Machin	19 February 1974	Template:Small
3303 Merta	30 October 1967	Template:Small
3336 Grygar	26 October 1971	Template:Small

3337 Miloš	26 October 1971	Template:Small
3407 Jimmysimms	28 February 1973	Template:Small
3475 Fichte	4 October 1972	Template:Small
3514 Hooke	26 October 1971	Template:Small
3627 Sayers	28 February 1973	Template:Small
3635 Kreutz	21 November 1981	Template:Small
3769 Arthurmiller	30 October 1967	Template:Small Template:Ref label
3825 Nürnberg	30 October 1967	Template:Small
4137 Crabtree	24 November 1970	Template:Small
4425 Bilk	30 October 1967	Template:Small
5268 Černohorský	26 October 1971	Template:Small
6215 Mehdia	7 March 1973	Template:Small
Template:Mpl	30 October 1967	Template:Small
Template:Mpl	24 November 1970	Template:Small
Template:Mpl	26 October 1971	Template:Small
7806 Umasslowell	26 October 1971	Template:Small
Template:Mp	26 October 1971	Template:Small
Template:Mp	26 October 1971	Template:Small
Template:Mp	26 October 1971	Template:Small
Template:Mp	26 October 1971	Template:Small

10003 Caryhuang	26 October 1971	Template:Small
Template:Mp	4 October 1972	Template:Small
Template:Mp	30 October 1967	Template:Small
Template:Mp	14 January 1972	Template:Small
Template:Mpl	22 August 1969	Template:Small
Template:Mp	26 October 1971	Template:Small
Template:Mp	26 October 1971	Template:Small
Template:Mp	26 October 1971	Template:Small
Template:Mp	26 October 1971	Template:Small
Template:Mp	26 October 1971	Template:Small
Template:Mp	26 October 1971	Template:Small
24601 Valjean	26 October 1971	Template:Small
Template:Mp	4 October 1972	Template:Small
Template:Mp	26 October 1971	Template:Small
Template:Mp	14 January 1972	Template:Small
Template:Mp	26 October 1971	Template:Small
Co-discovery made with: Template:Note label A. Kriete

External links

• 2011 interview with Luboš Kohoutek