One of the most famous Czech astronomers, Luboš Kohoutek, has died. He was 88 years old. During his life, he received numerous awards and made the Czech Republic famous in the world. He discovered 75 asteroids and five comets. One of them was even named after him. In 1970 he emigrated to Germany.
The legendary Czech astronomer Luboš Kohoutek was born on January 29, 1935 in Zábřeh in Moravia. He spent most of his life searching for nebulae. He became world famous thanks to the discovery of the comet that bears his name.
“It was a comet that was one of the brightest in the 20th century. Thanks to it, Luboš Kohoutek became world famous because it was also the first comet that was observed from orbit,” explained Pavel Suchan, spokesman for the Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.
A number of well-known artists and works refer to his discovery. His name was mentioned, for example, in one episode of the Simpsons series. The rock group REM even named a song after him.
He also discovered four other comets and 75 asteroids. “During his time, the discoveries he made caused a great response not only in our country, but also abroad. It was pioneering work for that time,” remarked the director of the Institute of Astronomy of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Michal Bursa.
“He was one of the most hardworking and, above all, the most careful, because he is behind the discovery of 75 planets,” added Suchan.
“He did one important thing, namely the Catalog of Planetary Nebulae. It is still widely used today and is such a cornerstone of planetary nebula research. These are stars at the end of their lives,” described astrophysicist Jan Palouš.
“He did a lot for our republic, he promoted us in the world, his name was very visible,” said astronomer Petr Heinzel.
Luboš Kohoutek lived most of his life in Germany, where he also died on December 30 at the age of 88. The Czech Astronomical Society reported on his death on Friday.
kdu, TN.cz
2024-01-05 20:31:00
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