Biography:Erich Meyer

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Short description: Austrian engineer and amateur astronomer
Minor planets discovered: 27 [1]
see § List of discovered minor planets

Erich Meyer (born 6 August 1951) is an Austrian engineer, amateur astronomer and discoverer of asteroids.

Astronomical career

Between 1996 and 1999, using the private observatory Meyer/Obermair in Davidschlag (municipality Kirchschlag bei Linz, Austria), he discovered a total of 21 asteroids. Seven of these asteroids were discovered together with his colleague Erwin Obermair and one together with Herbert Raab.[2] Furthermore, he was involved in six other discoveries of asteroids between 1996 and 2005, which were assigned as site discoveries to the observatory Davidschlag by the International Astronomical Union.[3]

Meyer's most important observations include precisie astrometry of the comet Shoemaker–Levy 9, which he observed together with Erwin Obermair and Herbert Raab in 1993. These observations have significantly contributed to the subsequent prediction of the impact of this comet on the planet Jupiter.[4] In 2018 Erich Meyer was able to identify the residential house of Johannes Kepler in Linz in Hofgasse (house no. 7) - after 400 years.[5]

Meyer is a member of the Astronomical Society of Linz (Linzer Astronomische Gemeinschaft). By profession, he works as an engineer in the field of maintenance of industrial plants.[6]

Awards and honors

On 4 April 1997 Meyer was presented the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (Silver) of the republic of Austria.[7] The asteroid 7940 Erichmeyer was named in his honor on 10 June 1998.[8] In 2005, Meyer was awarded a "Gene Shoemaker NEO Grant" by the Planetary Society to support his work on near-Earth objects.[9]

List of discovered minor planets

9097 Davidschlag 14 January 1996 list[A][B]
9236 Obermair 12 March 1997 list
9119 Georgpeuerbach 18 February 1998 list[A][B]
13682 Pressberger 10 August 1997 list[A]
14057 Manfredstoll 15 January 1996 list[B]
14977 Bressler 26 September 1997 list
15949 Rhaeticus 17 January 1998 list[B]
15955 Johannesgmunden 26 January 1998 list
16802 Rainer 25 September 1997 list
24916 Stelzhamer 7 March 1997 list
26355 Grueber 23 December 1998 list
29427 Oswaldthomas 7 March 1997 list
43955 Fixlmüller 6 February 1997 list[B]
48681 Zeilinger 21 January 1996 list[B]
48801 Penninger 22 October 1997 list
58499 Stüber 3 November 1996 list[B]
85411 Paulflora 3 November 1996 list[B]
96506 Oberösterreich 26 July 1998 list
100417 Philipglass 7 March 1996 list
100485 Russelldavies 3 November 1996 list[B]
130078 Taschner 26 November 1999 list
137632 Ramsauer 26 November 1999 list
175730 Gramastetten 18 February 1998 list
257515 Zapperudi 06 February 1997 list
276568 Joestübler 27 September 2003 list
318723 Bialas 8 September 2005 list
(376215) 2011 DK42 15 January 1996 list
Co-discovery made with:
A H. Raab or B E. Obermair

See also

References