# Starkenburg Observatory

Minor planets discovered: 52 :
* see § List of discovered minor planets
The Starkenburg Observatory (German: Starkenburg-Sternwarte) is an astronomical observatory in Heppenheim, Germany. It was founded in 1970, and currently has about 150 members.
The observatory was the venue for the 1997 and 2003 meetings of the European Radio Astronomy Congress. The amateur astronomers at the observatory have discovered more than 40 asteroids and participate in the tracking of near earth asteroids.
The instruments at the observatory consists of:
* 0.45-meter newtonian
* 0.356-meter Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope
* 0.30-meter newtonian
* 0.20-meter refractor
* 0.15-meter refractor
* 0.10-meter refractor
* 0.19-meter flat-field camera
* 0.14-meter Schmidt camera
The two main-belt asteroids 6864 Starkenburg and 14080 Heppenheim were named in honor of the medieval castle, the adjunct observatory and the nearby town Heppenheim, respectively.

## List of discovered minor planets

As of 2016, IAU's Minor Planet Center (MPC) credits the discovery of 52 numbered minor planets directly to the observatory (group discovery) including 47 discoveries to "Starkenburg" (1997–2009), and 5 discoveries to "Heppenheim" (1997–2002), for which no apparent distinction can be made.
| 12053 Turtlestar | 9 August 1997 | list |
| 12057 Alfredsturm | 18 February 1998 | list |
| 14080 Heppenheim | 1 April 1997 | list |
| 15397 Ksoari | 27 October 1997 | list |
| 16809 Galápagos | 21 October 1997 | list |
| 16969 Helamuda | 29 October 1998 | list |
| 17855 Geffert | 19 May 1998 | list |
| 18567 Segenthau | 27 September 1997 | list |
| 18610 Arthurdent | 7 February 1998 | list |
| 18653 Christagünt | 28 March 1998 | list |
| (18893) 2000 GH$_1$ | 2 April 2000 | list |
| 21663 Banat | 3 September 1999 | list |
| 24168 Hexlein | 29 November 1999 | list |
| 27984 Herminefranz | 1 November 1997 | list |
| 31984 Unger | 25 April 2000 | list |
| 33863 Elfriederwin | 5 May 2000 | list |
| 35357 Haraldlesch | 28 September 1997 | list |
| 38270 Wettzell | 11 September 1999 | list |
| (38681) 2000 QK$_6$ | 24 August 2000 | list |
| 40764 Gerhardiser | 13 October 1999 | list |
| (40995) 1999 UC$_4$ | 27 October 1999 | list |
| (47083) 1998 YG$_{22}$ | 29 December 1998 | list |
| 56561 Jaimenomen | 5 May 2000 | list |
| 58896 Schlosser | 15 May 1998 | list |
| 60006 Holgermandel | 13 October 1999 | list |
| (60175) 1999 VQ$_1$ | 3 November 1999 | list |
| (66480) 1999 RW$_{33}$ | 10 September 1999 | list |
| (68980) 2002 RP$_{181}$ | 13 September 2002 | list |
| (72057) 2000 YS$_9$ | 23 December 2000 | list |
| (89263) 2001 VZ$_1$ | 10 November 2001 | list |
| (89455) 2001 XJ$_1$ | 8 December 2001 | list |
| (105250) 2000 QJ$_6$ | 24 August 2000 | list |
| 121232 Zerin | 11 September 1999 | list |
| (137466) 1999 UB$_4$ | 27 October 1999 | list |
| (157894) 1999 TK$_{16}$ | 14 October 1999 | list |
| (178543) 1999 VP$_1$ | 3 November 1999 | list |
| (190415) 1999 UP$_1$ | 17 October 1999 | list |
| (193493) 2000 YZ$_7$ | 21 December 2000 | list |
| (208034) 1999 RT$_{28}$ | 8 September 1999 | list |
| 216624 Kaufer | 9 December 2002 | list |
| (219657) 2001 VA$_2$ | 10 November 2001 | list |
| (321286) 2009 FL$_{14}$ | 19 March 2009 | list |
| (321311) 2009 HX$_{35}$ | 19 April 2009 | list |
| (322003) 2010 UE$_{82}$ | 3 November 1999 | list |
| (337298) 2000 YY$_7$ | 22 December 2000 | list |
| 342431 Hilo | 25 October 2008 | list |
| (343080) 2009 DH$_1$ | 17 February 2009 | list |
| (349826) 2009 CU$_6$ | 14 February 2009 | list |
| (367468) 2009 DG$_1$ | 17 February 2009 | list |
| (403307) 2009 CR$_6$ | 14 February 2009 | list |
| (435943) 2009 CE$_{40}$ | 14 February 2009 | list |
| (457708) 2009 FO$_{14}$ | 20 March 2009 | list |
| The MPC credits discovery to: $^A$ Starkenburg $^B$ Heppenheim |||
For the table below, the mentioned astronomers may or may not be credited directly with the discovery by the MPC. Instead, the discovery site/observatory, "Starkenburg" or "Heppenheim", may be the sole credited discoverer, as for 18610 Arthurdent (discovered at Heppenheim by Starkenburg).
Asteroids discovered: 52 (47+5) :
| 12053 Turtlestar | October 8, 1997 | M. Busch, W. Ernst, K. Sonneberg, L. Kurtze |
| 12057 Alfredsturm | February 18, 1998 | P. Geffert, J. Rothermel, E. Schwab, R. Stoss |
| 14080 Heppenheim | April 1, 1997 | W. Ernst, K. Sonneberg, R. Stoss |
| 15397 Ksoari | October 27, 1997 | M. Busch, W. Ernst, K. Sonneberg, L. Kurtze |
| 16809 Galápagos | October 21, 1997 | M. Busch, L. Kurtze |
| 16969 Helamuda | October 29, 1998 | M. Busch, P. Geffert, R. Stoss |
| 17855 Geffert | May 19, 1998 | A. Busch, M. Busch, E. Schwab |
| 18567 Segenthau | September 27, 1997 | R. Stoss |
| 18610 Arthurdent | February 7, 1998 | F. Hormuth |
| 18653 Christagünt | March 28, 1998 | F. Hormuth, J. Rothermel, R. Stoss |
| 21663 Banat | September 3, 1999 | M. Busch, R. Stoss |
| 24168 Hexlein | November 29, 1999 | M. Busch, R. Stoss, R. Kresken |
| 27984 Herminefranz | November 1, 1997 | R. Stoss |
| 33863 Elfriederwin | May 5, 2000 | E. Schwab, R. Stoss |
| 56561 Jaimenomen | May 5, 2000 | R. Stoss, E. Schwab |