Carl A. Wirtanen, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetCarl A. Wirtanen
American astronomer
Date of Birth: 11-Nov-1910
Place of Birth: Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States
Date of Death: 07-Mar-1990
Profession: astronomer
Nationality: United States
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio 
About Carl A. Wirtanen
- Carl Alvar Wirtanen (November 11, 1910, Kenosha, Wisconsin – March 7, 1990 Santa Cruz, California) was an American astronomer and discoverer of comets and minor planets who worked at Lick Observatory.
- He was of Finnish ancestry. Wirtanen discovered periodic comet 46P/Wirtanen, as well as eight asteroids, including notably the Apollo asteroid (29075) 1950 DA, which may have a non-negligible probability of impacting the Earth in the year 2880.
- He also discovered two other Apollo asteroids: 1685 Toro and 1863 Antinous.
- Based on the Shane–Wirtanen survey, the Shane Wirtanen Catalogue, a count of galaxies, was his major work published in 1954.The asteroid 2044 Wirt, discovered by himself at Lick Observatory in 1950, was named in his honor in on 1 January 1981 (M.P.C.
- 5688).
- The name was proposed by his colleague Arnold Klemola.
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