itable ▁collections ▁for ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁hospital ▁and ▁the ▁parish ▁church . ▁ ▁By ▁night ▁he ▁often ▁observed ▁the ▁sky ▁with ▁his ▁teles cope , ▁particularly ▁working ▁on ▁the ▁or bits ▁of ▁com ets ▁and ▁minor ▁plan ets , ▁publishing ▁his ▁results ▁in ▁international ▁technical ▁period ical s . ▁ ▁Despite ▁going ▁blind ▁in ▁his ▁left ▁eye , ▁this ▁work ▁was ▁continued . ▁He ▁observed ▁the ▁short - period ▁Com et ▁III ▁( W olf ) ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 4 - 8 5 ▁with ▁ 9 5 0 ▁observations ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 1 - 9 2 ▁with ▁ 6 8 1 ▁observations , ▁and ▁calculated ▁its ▁orbit ▁to ▁forec ast ▁the ▁third ▁return . ▁ ▁Th ra en ▁also ▁discovered ▁several ▁new ▁astero ids , ▁which ▁received ▁the ▁name ▁" E ich sf eld ia " ▁and ▁the ▁name ▁" Ph ot ograph ica " ▁from ▁Professor ▁Wolf . ▁ ▁Th ra en ▁was ▁hon oured ▁by ▁the ▁Pr uss ian ▁state ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁with ▁the ▁award ▁of ▁the ▁Rot en - Ad ler ord ens , ▁IV ▁class . ▁Only ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 2 ▁at ▁a ▁conference ▁in ▁Gött ingen ▁did ▁he ▁become ▁personally ▁acquaint ed ▁with ▁many ▁astronom ers , ▁with ▁whom ▁he ▁had ▁previously ▁only ▁been ▁in ▁contact ▁with ▁by ▁post . ▁ ▁In ▁August ▁of ▁that ▁year , ▁he ▁fell ▁ill ▁with ▁in cur able ▁g astr ic ▁trouble , ▁and ▁died ▁on ▁ 1 8 ▁December