Friedrich August Theodor Winnecke (February 5, 1835 in Groß-Heere, near Hannover – December 3, 1897 in Bonn) was a German astronomer.
Winnecke worked at Pulkovo Observatory near Saint Petersburg from 1858 to 1865, but returned to Germany and served as professor of astronomy in Strasbourg from 1872 to 1881.
He discovered or co-discovered a large number of comets, including the periodic comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke and the comet once known as "Pons-Coggia-Winnecke-Forbes" but later renamed to 27P/Crommelin after Andrew Crommelin, who computed its orbit.
Winnecke also compiled a list of double stars and found a number of nebulae.
The asteroid 207 Hedda, discovered by Johann Palisa in 1879, was named after Winneckes wife Hedwig.
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Winnecke, Friedrich August Theodor |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | German astronomer |
| Date of birth | February 5, 1835 |
| Place of birth | |
| Date of death | December 3, 1897 |
| Place of death | |
Famous quotes containing the words august and/or theodor:
“What an occupation! To sit and flay your fellow men and then offer their skins for sale and expect them to buy them.”
—J. August Strindberg (1849–1912)
“There are men from whom nature or some peculiar destiny has removed the cover beneath which we hide our own madness. They are like thin-skinned insects whose visible play of muscles seem to make them deformed, though in fact, everything soon turns to its normal shape again.”
—E.T.A.W. (Ernst Theodor Amadeus Wilhelm)