Karl Theodor Robert Luther (16 April 1822, Świdnica – 15 February 1900 Düsseldorf), normally published as Robert Luther, was a German astronomer. While working at the Bilk Observatory in Düsseldorf, Germany, he searched for asteroids and discovered 24 of them between 1852 and 1890. Seven times Lalande Prize winner.
Biography Karl Theodor Robert Luther was born on 16 April 1822 to August Luther and Wilhelmine von Ende. He was home schooled and studied in the local high school. In 1841, he moved to Breslau where he studied until 1843.
In 1843 Luther moved to Berlin to study astronomy. He was a student of Johann Franz Encke and helped him in his astronomical calculations and creating the astronomical almanac. In 1850 he became a second observer. In 1851, Franz Brünnow invited Luther to the Düsseldorf-Bilk Observatory to become a director of the observatory after him.
Luther married Caroline (nee Marker) and they had one son, William. Luther died in 1900 after a short illness in Düsseldorf.
Discoveries Luther discovered 24 asteroids between 1852 and 1890.
Two of his discoveries are now known to have unusual properties: 90 Antiope, a binary asteroid with equal components, and the extremely slow-rotating 288 Glauke.
+ Asteroids discovered: 24 17 Thetis 17 April 1852 26 Proserpina 5 May 1853 28 Bellona 1 March 1854 35 Leukothea 18 April 1855 37 Fides 5 October 1855 47 Aglaja 15 September 1857 50 Virginia 19 October 1857 53 Kalypso 4 April 1858 57 Mnemosyne 22 September 1859 58 Concordia 24 March 1860 68 Leto 29 April 1861 71 Niobe 13 August 1861 78 Diana 15 March 1863 82 Alkmene 27 November 1864 84 Klio 25 August 1865 90 Antiope 1 October 1866 95 Arethusa 23 November 1867 108 Hecuba 2 April 1869 113 Amalthea 12 March 1871 118 Peitho 15 March 1872 134 Sophrosyne 27 September 1873 241 Germania 12 September 1884 247 Eukrate 14 March 1885 258 Tyche 4 May 1886 288 Glauke 20 February 1890 discovered independently 15 days after James Ferguson, but reported first
Honors and awards The asteroid 1303 Luthera and the lunar crater Luther were named in his honour.
He was awarded the Lalande Prize seven times, in 1852, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1859, 1860 and 1861.
Royal Astronomical Society Fellow since June 1854., digitized=13 Jul 2010
In 1869, a commemorative medal honoring the discovery of the 100th asteroid shows the profiles of John Russell Hind, Hermann Goldschmidt and Robert Luther.
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