Name Erwin Schwab | Role Astronomer | |
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Erwin Schwab (b. 1964) is a German amateur astronomer, who works at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung and has discovered and co-discovered more than 80 asteroids.
Schwab was born in Heppenheim, where he started observing minor planets at the Starkenburg Observatory in 1981. One which he discovered is named after his parents, Elfriede and Erwin Schwab. Schwab has discovered asteroids at Starkenburg, Tzec Maun as well as at the Taunus Observatory. Some minor planet are named for German cities such as 204852 Frankfurt, 241418 Darmstadt, and 243440 Colonia (Cologne), while the Jupiter-trojans 192220 Oicles and 221917 Opites are named after figures from Greek mythology. He also co-discovered 2009 DM45, an unnumbered Apollo asteroid and potentially hazardous object.
The Observatorio Astronómico de La Sagra in Spain has named the main-belt asteroid 185638 Erwinschwab in his honour.