# Antonín Mrkos

Minor planets discovered: 274 :
* see § List of discovered minor planets
Antonín Mrkos (Czech pronunciation:) (27 January 1918, Střemchoví – 29 May 1996, Prague) was a Czech astronomer.

## Biography

Mrkos entered the University in Brno in 1938. His studies were interrupted by the onset of World War II, and in 1945 he became a staff member at the Skalnaté Pleso Observatory in Czechoslovakia (now in Slovakia). It was from here that he carried out his extremely active cometary programme and became the discoverer of several unusual comets, the most famous of them the bright Comet 1957d.
He was the second Czech in Antarctica and the first Czechoslovak to reach the Southern Pole of Inaccessibility as a member of the 3rd Soviet Antarctic Expedition (1957–1959). The Czechoslovakian flag was the second flag raised after the flag of the USSR. He returned to Antarctica as the head of the four-member Czechoslovakian crew in the seventh Soviet Antarctic Expedition (1961–1963). He was studying auroras among other things.
He was invited for what would have been his third expedition to the Antarctic but could not participate because of an almost fatal accident. It is thought someone tried to injure or to kill him by adding a bottle of strongly concentrated detergent among his other bottles of mineral water. Since this accident he could only eat liquid meals for the rest of his life.
In 1965 he became director of Kleť Observatory. Beginning in 1968 he made photographic observations at Kleť and extended this activity to minor planets in 1977. For many years he was the most regular contributor of data to the Minor Planet Center. He was President of Commission 6 from 1985 until 1988 (and vice president from 1982 until 1985). He was associate professor at the Charles University in Prague and the University of South Bohemia. Mrkos died in 1996 in Prague, aged 78.
He discovered or co-discovered thirteen comets. Among these were the periodic comets 18D/Perrine–Mrkos, 45P/Honda–Mrkos–Pajdušáková, 124P/Mrkos and 143P/Kowal–Mrkos. He also discovered the bright non-periodic comet C/1957 P1 (or, in the nomenclature of the time, comet 1957d). He discovered a number of asteroids (273 in total), including the Amor asteroid 5797 Bivoj and Trojan asteroid 3451 Mentor.
Mrkos named asteroids 6758 Jesseowens in honour of Jesse Owens and 2747 Český Krumlov after the historic town of the same name. Another main-belt asteroid, 3357 Tolstikov, was named in honour of Yevgeny Tolstikov with whom he had explored the Antarctic in his youth. Fellow astronomer Lyudmila Chernykh named 1832 Mrkos in his honour, while Mrkos gratified her and her husband Nikolai with 2325 Chernykh.

## List of discovered minor planets

| 2199 Kleť | 6 June 1978 | list |
| 2304 Slavia | 18 May 1979 | list |
| 2325 Chernykh | 25 September 1979 | list |
| 2367 Praha | 8 January 1981 | list |
| 2403 Šumava | 25 September 1979 | list |
| 2404 Antarctica | 1 October 1980 | list |
| 2552 Remek | 24 September 1978 | list |
| 2559 Svoboda | 23 October 1981 | list |
| 2747 Český Krumlov | 19 February 1980 | list |
| 2811 Střemchoví | 10 May 1980 | list |
| 2889 Brno | 17 November 1981 | list |
| 2936 Nechvíle | 17 September 1979 | list |
| 2971 Mohr | 30 December 1980 | list |
| 3003 Konček | 28 December 1983 | list |
| 3017 Petrovič | 25 October 1981 | list |
| 3130 Hillary | 20 December 1981 | list |
| 3137 Horky | 16 September 1982 | list |
| 3141 Buchar | 2 September 1984 | list |
| 3168 Lomnický Štít | 1 December 1980 | list |
| 3257 Hanzlík | 15 April 1982 | list |
| 3276 Porta Coeli | 15 September 1982 | list |
| 3278 Běhounek | 27 January 1984 | list |
| 3313 Mendel | 19 February 1980 | list |
| 3324 Avsyuk | 4 February 1983 | list |
| 3326 Agafonikov | 20 March 1985 | list |
| 3334 Somov | 20 December 1981 | list |
| 3339 Treshnikov | 6 June 1978 | list |
| 3357 Tolstikov | 21 March 1984 | list |
| 3364 Zdenka | 5 April 1984 | list |
| 3395 Jitka | 20 October 1985 | list |
| 3451 Mentor | 19 April 1984 | list |
| 3490 Šolc | 20 September 1984 | list |
| 3550 Link | 20 December 1981 | list |
| 3571 Milanštefánik | 15 March 1982 | list |
| 3629 Lebedinskij | 21 November 1982 | list |
| 3630 Lubomír | 28 August 1984 | list |
| 3636 Pajdušáková | 17 October 1982 | list |
| 3645 Fabini | 28 August 1981 | list |
| 3665 Fitzgerald | 19 March 1979 | list |
| 3701 Purkyně | 20 February 1985 | list |
| 3715 Štohl | 19 February 1980 | list |
| 3716 Petzval | 2 October 1980 | list |
| 3727 Maxhell | 7 August 1981 | list |
| 3781 Dufek | 2 September 1986 | list |
| 3791 Marci | 17 November 1981 | list |
| 3827 Zdeněkhorský | 3 November 1986 | list |
| 3847 Šindel | 16 February 1982 | list |
| 3887 Gerstner | 22 August 1985 | list |
| 3905 Doppler | 28 August 1984 | list |
| 3949 Mach | 20 October 1985 | list |
| 3979 Brorsen | 8 November 1983 | list |
| 3980 Hviezdoslav | 4 December 1983 | list |
| 3981 Stodola | 26 January 1984 | list |
| 3983 Sakiko | 20 September 1984 | list |
| 3993 Šorm | 4 November 1988 | list |
| 4018 Bratislava | 30 December 1980 | list |
| 4054 Turnov | 5 October 1983 | list |
| 4090 Říšehvězd | 2 September 1986 | list |
| 4176 Sudek | 24 February 1987 | list |
| 4238 Audrey | 13 April 1980 | list |
| 4249 Křemže | 29 September 1984 | list |
| 4277 Holubov | 15 January 1982 | list |
| 4287 Třísov | 7 September 1989 | list |
| 4339 Almamater | 20 October 1985 | list |
| 4405 Otava | 21 August 1987 | list |
| 4408 Zlatá Koruna | 4 October 1988 | list |
| 4552 Nabelek | 11 May 1980 | list |
| 4554 Fanynka | 28 October 1986 | list |
| 4610 Kájov | 26 March 1989 | list |
| 4662 Runk | 19 April 1984 | list |
| 4663 Falta | 27 September 1984 | list |
| 4671 Drtikol | 10 January 1988 | list |
| 4691 Toyen | 7 October 1983 | list |
| 4698 Jizera | 4 September 1986 | list |
| 4702 Berounka | 23 April 1987 | list |
| 4801 Ohře | 22 October 1989 | list |
| 4823 Libenice | 4 October 1986 | list |
| 4824 Stradonice | 25 November 1986 | list |
| 5026 Martes | 22 August 1987 | list |
| 5089 Nádherná | 25 September 1979 | list |
| 5102 Benfranklin | 2 September 1986 | list |
| 5103 Diviš | 4 September 1986 | list |
| 5122 Mucha | 3 January 1989 | list |
| 5202 Charleseliot | 5 December 1983 | list |
| 5250 Jas | 21 August 1984 | list |
| 5318 Dientzenhofer | 21 April 1985 | list |
| 5363 Kupka | 19 October 1979 | list |
| 5418 Joyce | 29 August 1981 | list |
| 5425 Vojtěch | 20 September 1984 | list |
| 5552 Studnička | 16 September 1982 | list |
| 5573 Hilarydownes | 24 August 1981 | list |
| 5583 Braunerová | 5 March 1989 | list |
| 5668 Foucault | 22 March 1984 | list |
| 5712 Funke | 25 September 1979 | list |
| 5719 Křižík | 7 September 1983 | list |
| 5797 Bivoj | 13 January 1980 | list |
| 5800 Pollock | 16 October 1982 | list |
| 5801 Vasarely | 26 January 1984 | list |
| 5803 Ötzi | 21 July 1984 | list |
| 5804 Bambinidipraga | 9 September 1985 | list |
| 5865 Qualytemocrina | 31 August 1984 | list |
| 5891 Gehrig | 22 September 1981 | list |
| 5894 Telč | 14 September 1982 | list |
| 5897 Novotná | 29 September 1984 | list |
| 5910 Zátopek | 29 November 1989 | list |
| 5946 Hrozný | 28 October 1984 | list |
| 5958 Barrande | 29 January 1989 | list |
| 5997 Dirac | 1 October 1983 | list |
| 5998 Sitenský | 2 September 1986 | list |
| 6060 Doudleby | 19 February 1980 | list |
| 6064 Holašovice | 23 April 1987 | list |
| 6149 Pelčák | 25 September 1979 | list |
| 6175 Cori | 4 December 1983 | list |
| 6221 Ducentesima | 13 April 1980 | list |
| 6223 Dahl | 3 September 1980 | list |
| 6231 Hundertwasser | 20 March 1985 | list |
| 6266 Letzel | 4 October 1986 | list |
| 6281 Strnad | 16 September 1980 | list |
| 6377 Cagney | 25 June 1987 | list |
| 6379 Vrba | 15 November 1987 | list |
| 6385 Martindavid | 5 March 1989 | list |
| 6433 Enya | 18 November 1978 | list |
| 6440 Ransome | 8 September 1988 | list |
| 6441 Milenajesenská | 9 September 1988 | list |
| 6469 Armstrong | 14 August 1982 | list |
| 6470 Aldrin | 14 September 1982 | list |
| 6471 Collins | 4 March 1983 | list |
| 6481 Tenzing | 9 September 1988 | list |
| 6508 Rolčík | 22 August 1982 | list |
| 6516 Gruss | 3 October 1988 | list |
| 6540 Stepling | 16 September 1982 | list |
| 6542 Jacquescousteau | 15 February 1985 | list |
| 6546 Kaye | 24 February 1987 | list |
| 6550 Parléř | 4 November 1988 | list |
| 6556 Arcimboldo | 29 December 1989 | list |
| 6581 Sobers | 22 September 1981 | list |
| 6583 Destinn | 21 February 1984 | list |
| 6586 Seydler | 28 October 1984 | list |
| 6594 Tasman | 25 June 1987 | list |
| 6596 Bittner | 15 November 1987 | list |
| 6597 Kreil | 9 January 1988 | list |
| 6600 Qwerty | 17 August 1988 | list |
| 6701 Warhol | 14 January 1988 | list |
| 6712 Hornstein | 23 February 1990 | list |
| 6758 Jesseowens | 13 April 1980 | list |
| 6768 Mathiasbraun | 7 September 1983 | list |
| 6769 Brokoff | 15 February 1985 | list |
| 6774 Vladheinrich | 4 November 1988 | list |
| 6779 Perrine | 20 February 1990 | list |
| 6817 Pest | 20 January 1982 | list |
| 6824 Mallory | 8 September 1988 | list |
| 6825 Irvine | 4 October 1988 | list |
| 6897 Tabei | 15 November 1987 | list |
| (7080) 1986 RS$_1$ | 5 September 1986 | list |
| 7107 Peiser | 15 August 1980 | list |
| 7114 Weinek | 29 November 1986 | list |
| 7115 Franciscuszeno | 29 November 1986 | list |
| 7118 Kuklov | 4 November 1988 | list |
| 7171 Arthurkraus | 13 January 1988 | list |
| 7226 Kryl | 21 August 1984 | list |
| 7232 Nabokov | 20 October 1985 | list |
| 7328 Casanova | 20 September 1984 | list |
| 7332 Ponrepo | 4 December 1986 | list |
| 7334 Sciurus | 17 August 1988 | list |
| 7391 Strouhal | 8 November 1983 | list |
| 7398 Walsh | 3 November 1986 | list |
| 7403 Choustník | 14 January 1988 | list |
| 7464 Vipera | 15 November 1987 | list |
| 7635 Carolinesmith | 6 November 1983 | list |
| 7644 Cslewis | 4 November 1988 | list |
| 7645 Pons | 4 January 1989 | list |
| 7694 Krasetín | 29 September 1983 | list |
| 7695 Přemysl | 27 November 1984 | list |
| 7699 Božek | 2 February 1989 | list |
| 7701 Zrzavý | 14 October 1990 | list |
| 7742 Altamira | 20 October 1985 | list |
| 7820 Ianlyon | 14 October 1990 | list |
| 7859 Lhasa | 19 October 1979 | list |
| 7864 Borucki | 14 March 1982 | list |
| 7867 Burian | 20 September 1984 | list |
| 7927 Jamiegilmour | 29 November 1986 | list |
| 7993 Johnbridges | 16 October 1982 | list |
| 8001 Ramsden | 4 October 1986 | list |
| 8002 Tonyevans | 4 December 1986 | list |
| 8022 Scottcrossfield | 10 November 1990 | list |
| 8143 Nezval | 11 November 1982 | list |
| 8152 Martinlee | 3 November 1986 | list |
| (8153) 1986 WO$_1$ | 25 November 1986 | list |
| 8249 Gershwin | 13 April 1980 | list |
| 8258 McCracken | 15 September 1982 | list |
| 8267 Kiss | 4 October 1986 | list |
| 8333 Medina | 7 November 1982 | list |
| 8336 Šafařík | 27 September 1984 | list |
| 8343 Tugendhat | 4 October 1986 | list |
| 8479 Held | 29 April 1987 | list |
| 8639 Vonšovský | 3 November 1986 | list |
| (8650) 1989 TJ$_2$ | 5 October 1989 | list |
| 9007 James Bond | 5 October 1983 | list |
| 9008 Bohšternberk | 27 January 1984 | list |
| 9011 Angelou | 20 September 1984 | list |
| 9027 Graps | 4 November 1988 | list |
| 9028 Konrádbeneš | 26 January 1989 | list |
| (9031) 1989 WG$_4$ | 29 November 1989 | list |
| (9292) 1982 UE$_2$ | 16 October 1982 | list |
| (9538) 1982 UM$_2$ | 20 October 1982 | list |
| 9551 Kazi | 20 October 1985 | list |
| (9552) 1985 UY | 24 October 1985 | list |
| (9575) 1989 BW$_1$ | 29 January 1989 | list |
| (9729) 1981 RQ | 7 September 1981 | list |
| 9931 Herbhauptman | 18 April 1985 | list |
| 10026 Sophiexeon | 3 September 1980 | list |
| 10037 Raypickard | 26 January 1984 | list |
| (10291) 1985 UT | 20 October 1985 | list |
| (10294) 1988 AA$_2$ | 14 January 1988 | list |
| (10705) 1981 SL | 22 September 1981 | list |
| 11019 Hansrott | 25 April 1984 | list |
| 11020 Orwell | 31 July 1984 | list |
| 11026 Greatbotkin | 2 September 1986 | list |
| (11283) 1989 UX$_4$ | 25 October 1989 | list |
| (11477) 1984 SY$_1$ | 29 September 1984 | list |
| (11493) 1988 VN$_5$ | 4 November 1988 | list |
| (11825) 1982 UW$_1$ | 16 October 1982 | list |
| 11830 Jessenius | 2 May 1984 | list |
| (11841) 1986 VW | 3 November 1986 | list |
| (12692) 1989 BV$_1$ | 29 January 1989 | list |
| (12698) 1989 US$_4$ | 22 October 1989 | list |
| (13491) 1984 UJ$_1$ | 28 October 1984 | list |
| (13501) 1987 VR | 15 November 1987 | list |
| (13913) 1979 SO | 25 September 1979 | list |
| (14363) 1988 RB$_2$ | 8 September 1988 | list |
| (14379) 1989 UM$_4$ | 22 October 1989 | list |
| (15222) 1982 FL$_1$ | 24 March 1982 | list |
| (15233) 1987 WU$_4$ | 26 November 1987 | list |
| (16448) 1989 RV$_2$ | 7 September 1989 | list |
| (17404) 1986 TZ$_3$ | 4 October 1986 | list |
| 17407 Teige | 14 October 1987 | list |
| (18300) 1979 PA | 14 August 1979 | list |
| (18325) 1984 SB$_2$ | 29 September 1984 | list |
| (18328) 1985 UU | 20 October 1985 | list |
| (19124) 1986 TH$_3$ | 4 October 1986 | list |
| 19129 Loos | 10 January 1988 | list |
| (19184) 1991 TB$_6$ | 6 October 1991 | list |
| 20964 Mons Naklethi | 16 October 1977 | list |
| 20969 Samo | 17 September 1979 | list |
| 22260 Ur | 19 October 1979 | list |
| (22274) 1981 RN | 7 September 1981 | list |
| (22284) 1986 SH | 30 September 1986 | list |
| (22288) 1988 TR$_2$ | 11 October 1988 | list |
| (22307) 1990 SU$_4$ | 16 September 1990 | list |
| 23437 Šíma | 27 September 1984 | list |
| (24619) 1979 DA | 26 February 1979 | list |
| (24661) 1988 GQ | 12 April 1988 | list |
| 24662 Gryll | 14 April 1988 | list |
| 24695 Štyrský | 16 September 1990 | list |
| (26807) 1982 RK$_1$ | 14 September 1982 | list |
| (27702) 1984 SE$_1$ | 27 September 1984 | list |
| (27703) 1984 SA$_2$ | 29 September 1984 | list |
| (30770) 1984 SL$_4$ | 27 September 1984 | list |
| (30772) 1986 RJ$_1$ | 2 September 1986 | list |
| (32774) 1986 VZ | 3 November 1986 | list |
| (35086) 1990 TW$_8$ | 14 October 1990 | list |
| (37559) 1985 UR | 20 October 1985 | list |
| (39514) 1986 TV$_3$ | 4 October 1986 | list |
| (39515) 1986 XD$_5$ | 4 December 1986 | list |
| (46546) 1988 VM$_5$ | 4 November 1988 | list |
| (52268) 1986 WU | 25 November 1986 | list |
| (58140) 1981 SN | 22 September 1981 | list |
| (65668) 1988 AX$_1$ | 14 January 1988 | list |
| (65686) 1990 TN$_8$ | 14 October 1990 | list |
| (85155) 1986 VH$_7$ | 7 November 1986 | list |
| (85164) 1988 TG$_2$ | 3 October 1988 | list |
| (85167) 1989 RS$_2$ | 7 September 1989 | list |
| (100012) 1989 BC$_1$ | 25 January 1989 | list |
| 217628 Lugh | 17 April 1990 | list |