Named in memory of Eduard Schönfeld (1828–1891), famous German astronomer and director of the Mannheim and Bonn observatories. Pupil and, from 1853, assistant of F. W. A. Argelander {see planet  (1551)}, Schönfeld took part in the huge Bonner Durchmusterung project. His time as director of the Mannheim observatory mainly was devoted to the detection of variable stars. The results were published in two parts in 1866 and 1874. After Argelander’s death in 1875, Schönfeld started the task to enlarge the BD with the zone between −2° and −23°. In 1886 his momumental Südliche Durchmusterung, containing 24 charts with 133,659 stars, was published, completing the greatest task of the Bonn observatory. Schönfeld also served as an important promoter of the foundation and development of the Astronomische Gesellschaft. (M 23793) _ _.