Named in memory of Johann Hieronymus Schroeter (1745–1816), outstanding German amateur astronomer and telescope maker. At his private observatory in Lilienthal, Schroeter made numerous observations of the sun, the moon, and major and minor planets, comets and stars, with a special emphasis on the physical constitution and surface characteristics of celestial bodies. In particular, Schroeter correctly identified the strip-shaped details on Mars as sand storms. His drawings were important for an understanding of the physical nature of the comets of 1799, 1807 and 1811. Schroeter was one of the founders of the Astronomische Gesellschaft and host for the meeting of the famous “celestial police” in 1800. (M 26763) _ _.