Anton Karl Thraen (17 January 1843, Holungen, Province of Saxony – 18 February 1902, Dingelstädt) was a German astronomer and named two minor planets, 442 Eichsfeldia and 443 Photographica.
Thraen was born on 17 January 1843 in Holungen, in the Prussian Province of Saxony, where he attended the elementary school at that time.
In 1863, he completed his schooling in Heiligenstadt and went to Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster (1863–66), and the University of Paderborn (1866–68) and learned theology.
By night he often observed the sky with his telescope, particularly working on the orbits of comets and minor planets, publishing his results in international technical periodicals.
Asteroid 4098 Thraen, discovered by Dr. Börngen of the Karl Schwarzschild Observatory in Tautenberg in 1987 is named for the Dingelstädter minister and astronomer.