Lutz Dieter Schmadel (2 July 1942, in Berlin – 21 October 2016)[2][3][4] was a German astronomer and a prolific discoverer of asteroids, who worked at the Astronomisches Rechen-Institut (ARI) of the University of Heidelberg.
[5] His special interest was the astrometry of minor planets.
Among his numerous discoveries were the three main-belt asteroids 8661 Ratzinger, 10114 Greifswald and 11508 Stolte.
One asteroid 2234 Schmadel, discovered in 1977, was named in his honor.
[5] The asteroid 8811 Waltherschmadel was named for his father, Walther Schmadel (1902–1944), who died at the Eastern Front near Stalingrad during WWII.