Freimut Börngen


Freimut Börngen is a German astronomer and a prolific discoverer of minor planets. A few sources give his first name wrongly as "Freimuth". The Minor Planet Center credits him as F. Borngen.
He has studied galaxies with the Schmidt telescope at the Karl Schwarzschild Observatory in Tautenburg, Germany. In 1995 he retired, but continues to work as a freelancer for the observatory. As a by-product of his work, he has discovered numerous asteroids. The research on asteroids had to be done in his spare time, as the search for small objects was not considered prestigious enough by the GDR research managers. During the GDR regime, Börngen restricted himself to politically neutral names for his asteroids, such as topics related to Thuringia or famous scientists and composers. Examples include 2424 Tautenburg, 3181 Ahnert, 3245 Jensch, or 3941 Haydn. After the German reunification, he chose systematically historical, cultural, scientific and geographical namings, and at times honored amateur astronomers. Other names include references to resistance fighters against the Nazi suppression, or document a religious interest.
Freimut Börngen has achieved great reputation in the international scientific community for his human qualities and the well-substantiated choice of names. In 2006, he was awarded the Bundesverdienstkreuz am Bande by German Federal President Horst Köhler.
The main-belt asteroid 3859 Börngen, discovered by astronomer Edward Bowell at the U.S. Anderson Mesa Station in 1987, was named in his honor. The naming and its citation was proposed and written by his college Lutz Schmadel, and published on 20 February 1989.

List of discovered minor planets

Freimut Börngen is credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of 538 numbered minor planets made between 1961 and 1995.
2424 Tautenburg27 October 1973
2861 Lambrecht3 November 1981
3181 Ahnert8 March 1964
3245 Jensch27 October 1973
3338 Richter28 October 1973
3499 Hoppe3 November 1981
3539 Weimar11 April 1967
3540 Protesilaos27 October 1973
3802 Dornburg7 August 1986
3808 Tempel24 March 1982
3826 Handel27 October 1973
3917 Franz Schubert15 February 1961
3941 Haydn27 October 1973
3943 Silbermann3 September 1981
3954 Mendelssohn24 April 1987
3955 Bruckner9 September 1988
3975 Verdi19 October 1982
3992 Wagner29 September 1987
4003 Schumann8 March 1964
4076 Dörffel19 October 1982
4098 Thraen26 November 1987
4117 Wilke24 September 1982
4134 Schütz15 February 1961
4246 Telemann24 September 1982
4330 Vivaldi19 October 1982

5628 Preussen13 September 1991
5689 Rhön9 September 1991
5792 Unstrut18 January 1964
5816 Potsdam11 January 1989
5820 Babelsberg23 October 1989
5835 Mainfranken21 September 1992
5846 Hessen11 January 1989
5866 Sachsen13 August 1988
5904 Württemberg10 January 1989
6044 Hammer-Purgstall13 September 1991
6068 Brandenburg10 October 1990
6070 Rheinland10 December 1991
6099 Saarland30 October 1991
6120 Anhalt21 August 1987
6124 Mecklenburg29 September 1987
6157 Prey9 September 1991
6209 Schwaben12 October 1990
6293 Oberpfalz26 November 1987
6305 Helgoland6 April 1989
6320 Bremen15 January 1991
6332 Vorarlberg30 March 1992
6396 Schleswig15 January 1991
6402 Holstein9 April 1991
6439 Tirol13 February 1988
6442 Salzburg8 September 1988

7698 Schweitzer11 January 1989
7700 Rote Kapelle13 October 1990
7767 Tomatic13 September 1991
7873 Böll15 January 1991
7945 Kreisau13 September 1991
8019 Karachkina14 October 1990
8020 Erzgebirge14 October 1990
8089 Yukar13 October 1990
8108 Wieland30 January 1995
8130 Seeberg27 February 1976
8158 Herder23 October 1989
8171 Stauffenberg5 September 1991
8268 Goerdeler29 September 1987
8282 Delp10 September 1991
8284 Cranach8 October 1991
8381 Hauptmann21 September 1992
8382 Mann23 September 1992
8501 Wachholz13 October 1990
8502 Bauhaus14 October 1990
8661 Ratzinger14 October 1990
8666 Reuter9 April 1991
8667 Fontane9 April 1991
8684 Reichwein30 March 1992
8827 Kollwitz13 August 1988
8831 Brändström2 February 1989

9863 Reichardt13 September 1991
9872 Solf27 February 1992
9956 Castellaz5 October 1991
9957 Raffaellosanti6 October 1991
9962 Pfau28 December 1991
10055 Silcher22 December 1987
10067 Bertuch11 January 1989
10095 Carlloewe9 September 1991
10100 Bürgel10 December 1991
10114 Greifswald4 September 1992
10116 Robertfranz21 September 1992
10331 Peterbluhm9 April 1991
10340 Jostjahn10 September 1991
10348 Poelchau29 April 1992
10543 Klee27 February 1992
10740 Fallersleben8 September 1988
10745 Arnstadt11 January 1989
10746 Mühlhausen10 February 1989
10747 Köthen1 February 1989
10749 Musäus6 April 1989
10753 van de Velde28 November 1989
10761 Lyubimets12 October 1990
10762 von Laue12 October 1990
10763 Hlawka12 October 1990
10764 Rübezahl12 October 1990

11573 Helmholtz20 September 1993
11588 Gottfriedkeller28 October 1994
11847 Winckelmann20 January 1988
11853 Runge7 September 1988
11854 Ludwigrichter8 September 1988
11855 Preller8 September 1988
11886 Kraske10 October 1990
11887 Echemmon14 October 1990
11899 Weill9 April 1991
11916 Wiesloch24 September 1992
12182 Storm27 October 1973
12240 Droste-Hülshoff13 August 1988
12241 Lefort13 August 1988
12244 Werfel8 September 1988
12298 Brecht6 August 1991
12318 Kästner30 April 1992
12323 Haeckel4 September 1992
12327 Terbrüggen21 September 1992
12329 Liebermann23 September 1992
12350 Feuchtwanger23 April 1993
12401 Tucholsky21 July 1995
12659 Schlegel27 October 1973
12661 Schelling27 February 1976
12694 Schleiermacher7 March 1989
12729 Berger13 September 1991

14845 Hegel3 November 1988
14871 Pyramus13 October 1990
14940 Freiligrath4 March 1995
15262 Abderhalden12 October 1990
15263 Erwingroten13 October 1990
15264 Delbrück11 October 1990
15265 Ernsting12 October 1990
15282 Franzmarc13 September 1991
15301 Marutesser21 September 1992
15342 Assisi3 April 1994
15346 Bonifatius2 September 1994
15710 Böcklin11 January 1989
15724 Zille12 October 1990
15727 Ianmorison10 October 1990
15728 Karlmay11 October 1990
15761 Schumi24 September 1992
15762 Rühmann21 September 1992
15808 Zelter3 April 1994
15811 Nüsslein-Volhard10 July 1994
16355 Buber29 October 1975
16398 Hummel24 September 1982
16418 Lortzing29 September 1987
16438 Knöfel11 January 1989
16441 Kirchner7 March 1989
16459 Barth28 November 1989

18458 Caesar5 March 1995
19126 Ottohahn22 August 1987
19136 Strassmann10 January 1989
19139 Apian6 April 1989
19162 Wambsganss10 October 1990
19178 Walterbothe9 September 1991
19182 Pitz7 October 1991
19183 Amati5 October 1991
19185 Guarneri4 October 1991
19189 Stradivari28 December 1991
19208 Starrfield2 September 1992
19263 Lavater21 July 1995
19914 Klagenfurt27 October 1973
19970 Johannpeter8 September 1988
19992 Schönbein10 October 1990
19993 Gunterseeber10 October 1990
20006 Albertus Magnus11 April 1991
20012 Ranke13 September 1991
20016 Rietschel8 October 1991
20074 Laskerschueler14 January 1994
21010 Kishon13 August 1988
21050 Beck10 October 1990
21059 Penderecki9 April 1991
21074 Rügen12 September 1991
21075 Heussinger12 September 1991

24750 Ohm24 September 1992
24751 Kroemer21 September 1992
26119 Duden7 October 1991
26821 Baehr17 March 1988
26842 Hefele2 October 1991
27710 Henseling7 September 1988
27712 Coudray3 November 1988
27758 Michelson12 September 1991
27764 von Flüe10 September 1991
27765 Brockhaus10 September 1991
27845 Josephmeyer5 October 1994
27846 Honegger5 October 1994
27864 Antongraff5 March 1995
29185 Reich13 October 1990
29197 Gleim15 January 1991
29203 Schnitger9 April 1991
29204 Ladegast11 April 1991
29208 Halorentz9 September 1991
29212 Zeeman10 September 1991
29214 Apitzsch2 October 1991
29227 Wegener29 February 1992
29246 Clausius2 September 1992
29250 Helmutmoritz24 September 1992
29329 Knobelsdorff5 October 1994
30778 Döblin29 September 1987

37573 Enricocaruso23 October 1989
37582 Faraday12 October 1990
37583 Ramonkhanna13 October 1990
37584 Schleiden10 October 1990
37592 Pauljackson3 October 1991
37608 Löns24 September 1992
39464 Pöppelmann27 October 1973
39536 Lenhof10 October 1990
39540 Borchert11 April 1991
39549 Casals27 February 1992
39571 Pückler21 September 1992
42482 Fischer-Dieskau8 September 1988
42487 Ångström9 September 1991
42492 Brüggenthies3 October 1991
42516 Oistrach11 November 1993
43724 Pechstein29 October 1975
43751 Asam19 October 1982
43775 Tiepolo2 February 1989
43790 Ferdinandbraun12 October 1990
43804 Peterting10 September 1991
43806 Augustepiccard13 September 1991
43813 Kühner7 October 1991
46563 Oken12 September 1991
48415 Dehio21 August 1987
48422 Schrade3 November 1988

55749 Eulenspiegel15 January 1991
55753 Raman13 September 1991
55759 Erdmannsdorff10 December 1991
55772 Loder30 December 1992
58152 Natsöderblom12 August 1988
58163 Minnesang23 October 1989
58186 Langkavel13 September 1991
58191 Dolomiten28 December 1991
58215 von Klitzing21 September 1992
58217 Peterhebel24 September 1992
65675 Mohr-Gruber11 January 1989
65685 Behring10 October 1990
65692 Trifu12 September 1991
65694 Franzrosenzweig10 September 1991
65708 Ehrlich4 September 1992
65712 Schneidmüller24 September 1992
65769 Mahalia4 March 1995
69264 Nebra14 August 1988
69275 Wiesenthal28 November 1989
69286 von Liebig10 October 1990
69287 Günthereichhorn10 October 1990
69288 Berlioz11 October 1990
69295 Stecklum2 October 1991
69312 Rogerbacon24 September 1992
73686 Nussdorf10 October 1990

90711 Stotternheim10 October 1990
90712 Wittelsbach12 October 1990
12 September 1991
96205 Ararat24 September 1992
96206 Eschenberg24 September 1992
100019 Gregorianik23 October 1989
100027 Hannaharendt12 October 1990
100028 von Canstein10 October 1990
100029 Varnhagen10 October 1990
100033 Taizé9 April 1991
100046 Worms2 October 1991
100047 Leobaeck2 October 1991
26 September 1992
100268 Rosenthal5 October 1994
118173 Barmen11 April 1991
118178 Rinckart23 September 1992
120460 Hambach13 October 1990
10 October 1990
120481 Johannwalter24 September 1992
134348 Klemperer31 October 1992
150118 Petersberg18 September 1993
152559 Bodelschwingh12 October 1990
7 October 1991
160512 Franck-Hertz11 October 1990
12 October 1990