Carl W. Hergenrother

Carl William Hergenrother (born 1973) is an American astronomer and discoverer of minor planets and comets.

Hergenrother has 2 children, 8109 Danielwilliam, and 8711 Lukeasher, are named after his children. 7959 Alysecherri, is named after his wife, Alyse.

As credited by the Minor Planet Center, he has discovered and co-discovered 32 numbered asteroids at the Bigelow Sky Survey during 1993–1999. He has also discovered a number of comets including the long-period comet, C/1996 R1 (Hergenrother-Spahr), and three periodic comets, 168P/Hergenrother, 175P/Hergenrother and P/1999 V1 (Catalina). He was also a member of the science and operations team of the 2016-launched OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, a sample return mission to study near-Earth asteroid 101955 Bennu.

The outer main-belt asteroid 3099 Hergenrother was named in his honor on 3 May 1996 (M.P.C. 27124).