Kazimieras Černis


Kazimieras Černis is a Lithuanian astronomer and astrophysicist, active member of the IAU, and a prolific discoverer of minor planets and comets. In 2012, he discovered 420356 Praamzius, a trans-Neptunian object and dwarf planet candidate.
Černis graduated from Vilnius University in 1981. From 1981 to 1990, he worked at the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Physics. Since 1996, Černis is a senior scientist at Vilnius University Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy.
His research interests are photometry of stars, structure of the Milky Way, Solar system, comets, and asteroids. He is the leader of an asteroid search project at Molėtai Astronomical Observatory. Until 2006, Černis discovered 25 new comets and 125 asteroids. As of 2016, the Minor Planet Center credits him with the discovery and co-discovery of 113 numbered minor planets he made during 2001–2012. He has published papers on photometry of stars and did research of interstellar extinction towards the direction of galactic anticenter.

List of discovered minor planets

68730 Straizys15 March 2002 
73059 Kaunas16 March 2002 
95593 Azusienis16 March 2002 
95851 Stromvil26 March 2003 
124192 Moletai26 July 2001 
135561 Tautvaisiene16 March 2002 
140628 Klaipeda20 October 2001 
141496 Bartkevicius15 March 2002 
144752 Plunge16 April 2004 
151430 Nemunas16 March 2002 
154932 Sviderskiene12 October 2004 
155138 Pucinskas9 October 2005 
157396 Vansevicius13 October 2004 
157534 Siauliai8 October 2005 
166229 Palanga17 March 2002
167960 Rudzikas13 March 2005 
169568 Baranauskas16 March 2002 
175548 Sudzius27 September 2006 
180141 Sperauskas26 March 2003 
184096 Kazlauskas16 April 2004 
8 October 2005 
185150 Panevezys23 September 2006
187276 Meistas8 October 2005 
189396 Sielewicz2 May 2008 
12 October 2004 

27 April 2009 
19 September 2009 
5 October 2002
274084 Baldone3 January 2008 
12 October 2004 
2 February 2009 
10 March 2010 
284984 Ikaunieks12 April 2010 
286693 Kodaitis16 March 2002 
288960 Steponasdarius11 October 2004 
288961 Stasysgirėnas12 October 2004 
289020 Ukmerge12 October 2004
289021 Juzeliunas12 October 2004 
8 October 2005 
294664 Trakai3 January 2008 
2 February 2009 
28 April 2009 
10 March 2010 
296968 Ignatianum12 March 2010 
302849 Richardboyle27 March 2003 
11 October 2004 
305181 Donelaitis5 November 2007
12 October 2004 
11 October 2004 
11 October 2004