Alfred Schmitt

Alfred Schmitt (30 November 1907 – 2 April 1975) was a French astronomer and discoverer of minor planets. He worked at the Algiers Observatory in the 1930s and 1940s, later at the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Uccle, Belgium, and from 1955 to 1958 served as technical director of the Quito Astronomical Observatory in Ecuador.

Schmitt worked mainly in astrometry, the positional measurement of celestial objects, and was active in the observation of minor planets and comets. The Minor Planet Center credits him with the discovery of four numbered minor planets.

Career Schmitt was associated with the Algiers Observatory during a period in which the observatory was active in photographic astrometry and the observation of minor planets. The UNESCO Portal to the Heritage of Astronomy lists him among the astronomers of the Algiers-Bouzareah Observatory, where he worked during the 1930s and 1940s.

Schmitt's publications were generally signed A. Schmitt, following a common scientific convention of the period.

Minor planet discoveries Schmitt is credited by the Minor Planet Center with the discovery of four numbered minor planets:

Boyer later named the asteroid 1617 Alschmitt in Schmitt's honour. The name combines the initial of Schmitt's first name with his surname.

Personal life Schmitt married the French astronomer Odette Bancilhon, who had also worked at the Algiers Observatory. After their marriage, she published under the name O. Schmitt-Bancilhon.