As minor planet discoveries are confirmed, they are given a permanent number by the IAU's Minor Planet Center (MPC), and the discoverers can then submit names for them, following the IAU's naming conventions. The list below concerns those minor planets in the specified number-range that have received names, and explains the meanings of those names.
Based on Paul Herget's The Names of the Minor Planets,[6] Schmadel also researched the unclear origin of numerous asteroids, most of which had been named prior to World War II. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: SBDB New namings may only be added to this list below after official publication as the preannouncement of names is condemned.[7] The WGSBN publishes a comprehensive guideline for the naming rules of non-cometary small Solar System bodies.[8]
Yuzuru Yoshii (born 1951) is a Japanese astronomer and director of the Institute of Astronomy, University of Tokyo. His research interest includes formation and evolution of galaxies, galactic dynamics, and observational cosmology. He is famous for his discovery of the thick-disk component of the Milky Way galaxy.
Gregory Allen Lyzenga, American geophysicist, Satellite Geodesy and Geodynamics Systems Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and, Physics Department, Harvey Mudd College.
The New South Wales waratah, Telopea speciosissima, is a large shrub endemic to New South Wales, in Australia, and it is the floral emblem of that state.
Michael Zolensky (born 1955), American meteoriticist and curator of interplanetary dust at NASA's Johnson Space Center, has been at the forefront of understanding the origin of interplanetary dust particles, their relationship to carbonaceous chondrites and the processes that formed them on comets and minor planets (Src)
The Cheshire Cat, a cat appearing in Lewis Carroll's famous fairy tale Alice in Wonderland. Its unique characteristic is its laughing voice that lingers after the cat fades away.
Doudleby, a village in southern Bohemia, near České Budějovice in the Czech Republic. It was first mentioned as a site of a Slavonic fortified settlement above the Malše river in 981. The Gothic church of St. Vincent was built on this site. The region of Doudleby is known for its lively traditional folk customs, including carnivals. Name suggested by J. Ticha and M. Tichy.
Sakitama, located in the city of Gyōda and from which Saitama prefecture takes its name, is known for its burial mounds, constructed from clay and rocks between the fourth and seventh centuries.
Tähtiseuraursa is Finnish for Astro Society Ursa. Ursa is a non-profit society of amateur astronomers, founded by Yrjö Väisälä in 1921. Ursa has grown to be one of the largest astronomical societies in Europe, with over 19 000 members in 2021.
Natalia Bekhtereva (1924–2008), was a Russian neurophysiologist, director of the Institute of Experimental Medicine in St. Petersburg for many years and founder of the Institute of the Human Brain of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Bechtereva laid the foundation for basic research into the physiology of healthy and diseased human brains. She discovered the cerebral mechanisms that optimize cognitive processes – the error detector. The theory of the brain's stable pathological state as the adaptation background for many chronic diseases was developed by Bechtereva, opening up new opportunities for their treatment. Name suggested by the Institute of the Human Brain and the Institute of Applied Astronomy.
Gero Kurat (1938–2009), Austrian curator of the meteorite collection of the Natural History Museum in Vienna, and president of the Meteoritical Society
Jane Ira Bloom (born 1955), an American soprano saxophonist and jazz composer. She is known for her chromatic, lyrical playing and compositions for orchestra, unusual ensembles and dance troupes. Her performances with traditional jazz groups appear on several critically acclaimed recordings. As the first musician in the NASA Art Program, she wrote "Most Distant Galaxy" and "Einstein's Red/Blue Universe", the latter on commission for the American Composers' Orchestra.
Florence Bascom (1862–1945), the first woman geologist in the United States. She was an expert in crystallography, mineralogy and petrography and worked in the fields of metamorphism and crystallography in their infancy. Bascom was also an educator who trained a generation of young women as professionals at Bryn Mawr, where she founded the geology department. She was the first woman hired by the U.S. Geological Survey and the first woman elected to the Council of the Geological Society of America. Her pioneering work earned her a position among the country's hundred leading geologists in the early twentieth century.
Jaroslav Vrchlický (1853–1912), born Emil Frída, Czech poet and one of the most prolific of all Czech writers. His works included lyric and epic poetry, plays and Czech translations of major European writers.
Bob Lupo, Boston-born Arizona restaurateur. Wearing a black hat and a genial smile, Lupo typifies the Western cowboy of today's imagination. Born in Boston, he sought his fortune in the West, becoming a registered farrier and at one time taking part in team roping in Colorado. He owned and managed a fine Western-style eatery, Horseman Lodge and Restaurant, in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he served outstanding seafood (a heritage from Boston), steaks and barbecue to the many renowned visiting scientists and others who have entered his doors.
Hoshigakubo, in Niyodo, Kōchi, Japan. The name refers to a section of low ground at Choja, a mountainous place in the western part of Kochi prefecture. Legend has it that a meteorite fell there in olden times. Now there is a pond 20 meters across.
John W. Mason (born 1954) has contributed to research on comets and meteors and to the popularization of astronomy. He was president of the British Astronomical Association during 1993–1995.
Junkyu Muto (born 1950) is famous worldwide as a Japanese sculptor and painter living in Rome. His series of Kazenowa ("circle wind") sculptures is particularly well known, and in 2000 one of them was installed permanently at the papal villa in Castel Gandolfo as its first abstract sculpture as a monument to world peace
Ikkansai Kunitomo (1778–1840) Japanese amateur astronomer, observer of the Sun, Moon and planets, and builder several Gregorian reflecting telescopes from his own design
Tomoki Nakamura (born 1966), an associate professor of earth and planetary sciences at Kyushu University, Japan, who specializes in research on primitive solar system materials, most recently leading to the discovery of high-temperature chondrule-like materials in the stardust samples
Igor' Alekseevich Glebov (born 1914), scientist in the field of electrical engineering and power engineering, since 1975 director of the Science Research Institute of Electric Machine Engineering in St. Petersburg. Glebov is renowned for his work in control systems for power turbogenerators and his application of superconductivity in electric machine engineering.
Yurij Ivanovich Kazak (born 1949), surgeon at Bakhchisaraj district hospital, treated many staff members of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory. A skilled and kind doctor, he is always ready to help people
Teodor Teodorovich Tsap (born 1930) and his son Yurij Teodorovich Tsap (born 1966) are astronomers at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory. They have made a significant contribution to observations and theory of various solar phenomena. Teodor Tsap, with coauthors, discovered oscillations in the sun with a period of 160 min
The Brevard Astronomical Society, a very active amateur astronomy community in Brevard County, Florida, where the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral is located
There is a Japanese poem whose subject is Mount Bizan in the Manyosyu, an anthology of the Nara Era. Mt. Bizan is a small mountain that looks like an eyebrow, and is one of the symbols of Tokushima. This whimsical name uses the character for eyebrow, "mayu", combined with "boshi" (star).
Sergej Ivanovich Plachinda (born 1951), astronomer at Crimea–Nauchnij has contributed to investigations on the global magnetic fields of stars of different types. His wife, Nelly Ivanovna Merkulova (born 1949), is a well-known investigator of variability in Seyfert galaxies
Singto Pukahuta (1915–2007) was a prominent Thai astronomy educator and author. He was a founder and Director of the Bangkok Planetarium, and president of the Thai Astronomical Society. One of his books, Star Tales, was included in the List of 100 Good Books that Thai Children and Young Adults Should Read
Hubelmatt, Swiss borough and school in the city of Lucerne, Switzerland, and the location of the Hubelmatt Observatory operated by the Astronomical Society of Lucerne.
The Royal Netherlands Association for Meteorology and Astronomy (KNVWS, Koninklijke Nederlandse Vereniging voor Weer- en Sterrenkunde), established in 1901, is a federation of more than fifty amateur organizations and public observatories
Gryphon, a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's Alice's adventures in Wonderland. The Gryphon had an eagle's head, a front half with wings and talons, and at the back a lion's legs and tail.
Miguel Hernández (1910–1942) was a poet who fought for peace and the Republic during the Spanish Civil War. He was incarcerated in several fascist prison camps until his death at the summit of the repression. His name went into oblivion until the collapse of the fascist dictatorship, when his plays and poems were rediscovered.
Muhammad Tantawi (1845–1889) was an Egyptian astronomer and mathematician, who was born in Tanta and later settled in Damascus, Syria. He is well known for reconstructing the ancient sundial in Umayyad Mosque in the ancient city of Damascus, which was originally made by Syrian astronomer Ibn al-Shatir.
The Japanese village of Shosanbetsu with its Shosanbetsu Observatory located on Hokkaido. "Shosanbetsu" means a river where the waterfall is flowing out in the native Ainu language. The village has a population of about 1450 and was established in 1909. The observatory operates a 0.65-meter reflector telescope.
Andrés Eloy Martínez (born 1963) is a Mexican astronomer and science popularizer known in his country for his radio dramatization of the novel War of the Worlds. He loves creating science videos for the Internet. His biggest concerns are global warming and an asteroid impact on Earth.
Gerhard Friedrich Müller (Miller, according to traditional spelling in Russian; 1705–1783), first rector of St. Petersburg University and editor of the first Russian academic journal. He is considered the father of St. Petersburg's historical school, and his works were the foundation for research on the history, ethnography, archeology and geography of Russia and Siberia
Natalia Borisovna Frolova, assistant professor of astronomy at Ural State University in Ekaterinburg. She worked on a detailed catalogue of stars along the path of comet 1P/Halley, and this contributed to the success of the space missions Vega and Giotto. As a leader in educating local schoolchildren about astronomy, she takes an active part in organizing the annual Winter Astronomical Students' School at Kourovskay Observatory
Isnello, a pleasant village in Sicily's Madonie Natural Park, has long been famous for its traditional refined embroidery. It is now becoming an important center for astronomy with the realization of the Parco Astronomico delle Madonie, an international center devoted to popularization of and research in astronomy
Uttorp, a village in southeastern Sweden, is part of a nature reserve used by the local astronomy club Karlskrona Astronomiförening. In 2010 the site, renowned for its dark skies, also saw the launch of an annual astronomy conference open to amateur astronomers and the public. The name was suggested by U. Petersson
Barbara Llewellyn Horrigan (1915–2005), American member of the Arlington Friends of the Drama (Massachusetts), actress, director, and set and costume designer
Shigeo Mitsuma (1956–2012) was a member of Hoshinohiroba (the Japanese Comet Observers Network) and an independent discoverer of C/1987 B1 (Nishikawa-Takamizawa-Tago). He also observed sunspots and search for novae
Javier Gorosabel (1969–2015) was a Spanish astronomer, born in the Basque Country. His contributions to the study of \gamma -ray bursts were crucial for the development of that field. He was an eager popularizer of astronomy.
Denali, rising 6,194 meters above sea level, is the tallest peak in North America. The name Denali originates from the Tanana Indian language and translates into English as "The Great One". The Tanana Indians are a subgroup of the Athabaskans; the Athabaskans were the original inhabitants of central and south central Alaska. Name proposed by D. Hamilton
Bernard Bowen was the founding chair of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research and was instrumental in its establishment in 2009. He helped bring part of the Square Kilometre Array telescope to Western Australia. He has also had a distinguished career in Australian marine science and environmental protection.
Tara is a town in Saga prefecture. The preparation of dried seaweed is its main industry, and Tara mandarin oranges are famous. The Saga Astronomical Society's 0.60-m reflector at the Tara Observatory is familiar to many of the local residents. The name was suggested by Y. Yamada
Franz Thaler (1925–2015) was an author from South Tyrol, Italy and a survivorof Dachau and Hersbruck. Thaler's memoir, Unvergessen (Unforgotten), initiated theprocess of coming to terms with what happened during the Nazi era. He was a firm believer in the peaceful coexistence of the three ethnic groups living in South Tyrol.
Mikhail Vasil'evich Grinev (born 1929), Russian surgeon, director of St. Petersburg Djanelidze Research Institute of Emergency Medicine from 1984 to 1998, member of the board of directors of the European Association of Trauma and Emergency Surgery, professor of St. Petersburg Medical University and medical academy for postgraduate training. Grinev is internationally renowned for his classic research in the field of emergency surgery, polytrauma and shock. Name suggested by the Institute of Applied Astronomy and Djanelidze Research Institute of Emergency Medicine
Mehdia, Morocco (Arabic for "gift"), is a region in Morocco with rich natural resources. The forest and the Sidi Boughaba lake are home to thousands of species, including endangered migrating birds from Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, which prefer to spend the winter in the calm, warm waters of Sidi Boughaba.
Kodai Fukushima (born 1991) is a founder of the student club Libertyer. He made the original proposal of the chosen names "Libertas" and "Fortitudo" for the host star Xi Aquilae and its exoplanet Xi Aquilae b in the IAU's NameExoWorlds contest.
Fram, the ship that was built specially for polar research. It was used in expeditions of the Arctic and Antarctic regions by the Norwegian explorers F. Nansen, O. Sverdrup, O. Wisting and R. Amundsen. Fram is preserved at the Fram Museum in Oslo, Norway.
Danila Nikiforovich Zubitskij and Natalia Petrovna Zubitska, doctors and phyto-therapists in Kyiv, who have developed original methods of treatment using herbal medicines. The authors of several books, they are well known in Ukraine, and their methods and preparations are also being used in other countries. Natalia Petrovna, who has a broadcast program in Kyiv about herbs and "people's medicine", has also published several books of poetry
Miloslav Druckmüller (born 1954) is a Czech mathematician, astronomy popularizer and photographer, who developed an innovative method to visualize the solar corona during total eclipses of the Sun. He has stretched the limits of scientific astrophotography, leading to a variety of discoveries.
Crofton Bernard Farmer (1931–2021), researcher in Earth and planetary atmospheres, visiting scientist at JPL, awardee of the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal, and of crucial assistance to the Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking program
Steve (born 1949) and Kathy (born 1949) Siok have been members of the Skyscrapers astronomy club of Rhode Island, USA for more than forty years, during which time they have held a variety of leadership positions
Bohumil Ruprecht (born 1944), a Czech astronomer, telescope maker and science popularizer from Pardubice, where he co-founded the Baron Arthur Kraus Observatory in 1992 (Src).
Toshikazu Ebisuzaki (born 1958) is a Japanese astronomer and director of the computational astrophysics laboratory at Riken, a scientific research institute in Japan (Src).
Bruce Tsurutani (born 1941) has made essential contributions to original research and technical leadership in space science activities for many NASA, NASA-ESA and Japanese space missions. His research activities include instabilities and turbulence in space plasmas, space weather and astrophysical plasmas.
Christoph Reigber (born 1939) has made essential contributions to the determination of the global gravity field using satellite observations, to the study of Earth kinematics using satellites, to atmospheric sounding using radio-occultation techniques, and to the development and operation of satellite missions.
Stanislav Barabash (born 1964) has made essential contributions to the measurement and understanding of energetic neutral particles around the Earth and the nearest planets, as well as in the boundary regions of the heliosphere.
Mariano Méndez (born 1960) has had a productive scientific career as an astronomer in parallel with his tireless activity aimed at helping the advancement of education and science in developing countries, notably as Vice Chair (2006–2010) and then Chair (2010–2018) of the COSPAR Panel on Capacity Building.
Kejo-numa, a marsh in Miyagi prefecture, is a great wintering site for migratory birds. More than 2000 Bean geese, which are an endangered species in Japan, winter there every year. The marsh was designated as a wetland under the Ramsar Convention in 2008. The name was suggested by T. Yusa
Tijn Kolsteren from the Netherlands, who, at age 6 and diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor, raised over 2 million euros for the International Red Cross, as part of the Dutch charity radio program Serious Request 2016
Nicole Rappaport (born 1950), a senior research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is an authority on radio science and the use of spacecraft tracking data to determine the masses and gravity fields for the natural satellites. She has also done important work on the dynamics of Saturn's ring particles
Richard Menendez (born 1957) has taught astronomy at St. Louis Community College for the last 14 years with his own curriculum aimed toward concepts and ideas for classroom teachers. He has done over 900 hours of public-outreach astronomy and has been a board member of the St. Louis Astronomical Society.
Spanish for "bad country"/"badlands", used by early explorers of the American Southwest to designate difficult-going countryside strewn with rough lava flows or rocks, and now used to designate the rock found in such country, used for stone building construction (1999 Flagstaff Festival of Science asteroid naming contest winner) †
Robert M. Walker (1929–2004), American meteoricist at Washington University. He was a leading figure in the study of radiation damage in solids and in the investigation of interstellar grains recovered from meteorites. His work on fission tracks with others opened a new approach to the dating of rocks on the earth and the moon and led to new information on the energy spectrum, composition and flux of solar and galactic cosmic rays. He founded whole new methods of scientific study and created a premier center for research in these new fields at Washington University, where he has provided inspiring leadership to a host of students and post-doctoral fellows.
Larry and Becky Schamp, Americans stationed in Alice Springs, Australia, who took in members of the Shoemaker family after the car collision in which Eugene died
Carlos Gardel (1890–1935), a singer, composer and actor who recorded during his lifetime hundreds of songs and composed together with Alfredo Le Pera famous tangos such as Mi Buenos Aires querido, Volver or Por una cabeza. The name was suggested by W. A. Fröger
Steven Newburn and Erin Fischer on the occasion of their marriage. Steven is the son of Ray Newburn, science coordinator for near-Earth objects at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and former co-leader of the International Halley Watch
Michael Jura (1947–2016) was as an American astronomer and UCLA professor whose work on polluted white dwarfs first enabled the measurement of the chemical compositions of extrasolar asteroids.
The Astronomer (TA), a British amateur astronomy magazine, founded under the name The Casual Astronomer by James Muirden in 1964. The interest of the discoverer, Robert H. McNaught, in observational astronomy was spurred by this astronomy magazine.
Masanori Iye (born 1949), Japanese astronomer and professor at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. He led the engineering core team that designed and manufactured the Subaru Telescope. Iye researches the structure and evolution of galaxies.
Hiroyasu Ando (born 1946), Japanese astronomer and chairman of the Optical and Infrared Astronomy Division of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan who is an expert in stellar oscillations and high-resolution spectroscopy.
Harpalion, from Greek mythology. He was the son of King Pylaemenes, a Trojan ally. Harpalion was killed by Meriones, while his father was killed by Menelaus during the Trojan War.
Tamara Bell and Michael More on the occasion of their wedding. They are recent graduates of the University of Arizona with degrees in political science and geology. The discoverer and her husband wish the newlyweds a harmonious marriage and rewarding careers.
Terry Cole, chief technologist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and senior faculty associate in the Caltech Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.
Mount Myougi, 1104 m above sea level, one of the "Three Jomo Mountains" was created by volcanic activity. It is located at the southwestern part of Gunma prefecture, Japan.
Drew Esquivel (1995–2016), a devoted student, mentor, leader, and outstanding athlete on wrestling and swimming teams, enjoyed sharing his skills and passion for software development with his peers at MIT and the Summer Science Program, and with the community at large via mobile applications and online tutoring.
Svetlana Semenovna Prilepina, a Russian astronomer who graduate at the Ural State University. She has been organizing the annual Winter Astronomical School at the Kourovka Astronomical Observatory.
Keith D. Rosema (born 1967), computer scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory who did asteroid radar astronomy at both Arecibo and Goldstone Observatory
Donald Gault (1923–1999), an American planetary geologist and giant in the field of impact cratering processes, who applied his understanding and insight as an experimentalist to interpreting impact data and its application to the Moon, the Earth, Mars and Mercury. His work is at the heart of the most basic of all processes concerned with solid bodies in the Solar System.
Tenzing Norgay (known as Sherpa Tenzing, 1914–1986), a Nepali-Indian Sherpa mountaineer who reached the summit of Mount Everest with Edmund Hillary in 1953
Wendee Esther Wallach-Feldman (afterwards Wendee Wallach-Levy), former teacher. Married to astronomer David H. Levy with whom she co-directs their private observatory (Jarnac Observatory) in Vail, Arizona
Ko Nagasawa (born 1932), worker at the University of Tokyo's Earthquake Research Institute and the Public Information Office at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.
Giovanni Pratesi (born 1963) is a mineralogist and specialist in meteorites and impact rocks. He is director of the Museum of Natural History of the University of Firenze and was the founder and director of the Museum of Planetary Sciences in Prato until 2012.
William and Nancy Tarry, Americans stationed in Alice Springs, Australia, who provided hospitality and assistance to the Shoemakers when Eugene was killed in an outback car collision
Catherine de Bergh (born 1945), French planetary scientist at the Paris Observatory who has studied the chemistry of the giant and terrestrial planets. She also studied in the icy surfaces of Io, Triton and Pluto.
Robert and Esther Vernon, longtime friends and, for more than 35 years, neighbors of the discoverer and her parents, Fred and Kay Francis. Their wise counsel, advice and solace over the years have been a source of comfort and renewed strength. Bob, now "retired", travels the world from Slovakia to Mongolia, sharing his wealth of experience and expertise with emerging democracies
Pina Toscano Blanco, regular "accompanying person" at astronomical meetings during the last 25 years. Her continuous presence has made her a supporting member of the "wives' committees" that do so much to improve such meetings. Name suggested by Pina's husband, Carlo Blanco, with the blessing of the discoverer
The Jaci (Aci), a river southeast of Mount Etna, Italy. The name also honors the many towns and villages along it that contain the name: Acicastello, Acitrezza, Acireale, Acibonaccorsi, Acicatena, Aci Sant'Antonio and Aci Santo Filippo. The modern-day river evokes the myth of Aci (or Acis), the young Sicilian shepherd who was in love with Galatea, a Nereid. The jealous cyclops Polyphemus hurled a large rock and killed Aci, whose blood was transformed into an underground river that plunged into the Ionian Sea to hug his beloved Galatea. Name proposed by the discoverer, following a suggestion by Carlo Blanco
Takashi Ito (born 1967) is a Japanese planetary scientist who specializes in solar-system dynamics, particularly concerning minor planets. One of his major achievements was to confirm numerically that asymmetric lunar cratering has a profound connection with near-Earth-asteroid dynamics
Lyudmila Iosifovna Vysochinska, composer, pianist and music critic in Kyiv and a public figure throughout Ukraine. She has written many songs based on the poetry of Ukrainian, Russian and Bulgarian poets. The founding director of Ukraine's first Theater of Songs, she has research interests that include the connections between Ukrainian classical composers and writers
Mikhail Nikitich Muraviov (1757–1807), Russian poet, minister, and administrator of Moscow State University, where he inaugurated the department of astronomy and built the observatory
Dah-Ning Yuan (born 1956), a senior scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has been a key contributor to the determination of the earth's gravity field using the ultra precise spacecraft-to-spacecraft ranging data from the twin GRACE spacecraft
Steven J. Dick (born 1949), president of IAU Commission 41 (1997–2000), wrote the official history of the U.S. Naval Observatory and books on the history of the extraterrestrial life debate. At the USNO (1979–2003) he was astronomer, historian and Nautical Almanac Office chief. He has been chief historian of NASA since 2003
Leitus, an Argonaut from Greek mythology. He was one of the seven Achaean Leaders in front of whom Poseidon appeared during the Trojans' attack on the Greek armada, urging them to fight back instead of acting like cowards. Wounded by Hector, Leitus was one of the few to safely return home after the Trojan War.
George Higginson (1999–2009), of Lancaster, England, killed tragically in a road accident, was a promising student and budding astronomer. The name was suggested by M. A. Thompson
Leontij Filippovich Magnitskij (1669–1739), a teacher of mathematics at the School of Mathematical and Navigation Sciences in Moscow from 1701, was author of the first printed book in Russia on "arithmetics", an encyclopedia of mathematical and astronomical knowledge at that time
Jermen Mikhailovich Gvishiani (born 1928), known for his many works in philosophy, sociology and theory of management. He serves as president of the Foundation for Prospective Research and the Moscow Institute of Economics, Politics and Law. He is a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Rome Club and many foreign academies, foundations and associations. His work promotes the use of foreign achievements in science, technology and culture in present-day Russia
Nikolaj Antonovich Slavov (born 1926), Ukrainian river fleet engineer and sportsman. He helped lead the clean-up effort after the 1986 disaster at Chernobyl, where he had been working for several months. A national boxing champion, he is president of the Professional Boxing League of Ukraine. His interests extend to the arts, and he is president of the All-Ukrainian Foundation for the artist Leonid Bykov. He actively contributes to the development of culture and sport in Ukraine
Torben Wolff (born 1919) is a Danish marine biologist who participated in the Galathea Deep-Sea Expedition Round the World (1950–1952) and other major ocean expeditions.
The Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra is celebrating its 50th season in 1999–2000. It is considered by many to be the best symphony orchestra in a small community in the U.S.A
Milan Jankovich, economist and ecologist in Monaco, is head of the Zepter company. He is devoted to helping young people, improving the environment and encouraging cultural advances. He has won many prestigious international prizes. The name was suggested by the Ukrainian Ecological Academy of Sciences
The Qwerty standard Roman-alphabet typewriter keyboard (named after the first six of the top row of letters), in part because the provisional designation was QW
Patrick Schmeer (born 1964) is an amateur astronomer observing cataclysmic variable stars from Saarbruecken-Bischmisheim, Germany. He detected the 1999 eruption of the recurrent nova U Sco and a number of rare dwarf nova outbursts, and he has identified several putative dwarf novae as minor planets.
Mary A. Cragg (born 1938) developed the Telescopes in Education (TIE) office infrastructure. It is used as a model for other remote educational telescope operations
Peregrina ("Pilgrim") is a foreign lady, especially one on pilgrimage. The minor planets might be compared to an immense, multifarious crowd of perpetual pilgrims, and this one fancied to be an especially earnest, devout member.
Evdokiya Ivanovna Timchuk (born 1937), a neuropathologist and physician at a hospital near Simferopol on the Crimean peninsula. She is a good friend of the discoverer Tamara Smirnova.
Vladimir Pavlovich Matvienko (born 1938), Ukrainian economist, author of many works on economics and banking and a member of the Ukrainian Academy of Ecological Sciences. He is also a poet, and some of his poetic works have been set to music
Trio con Brio Copenhagen is the leading music ensemble in Denmark. The trio was formed in 1999 and consists of Jens Elvekjaer (piano), Soo-Kyung Hong (cello), and Soo-Jin Hong (violin). In addition to their explorations of the core piano trio repertoire, they have won acclaim for their advocacy of contemporary music.
Roman Kintanar (1929–2007), Filipino meteorologist, director of PAGASA, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Robert Ross (born 1920) has devoted his life to the Muscular Dystrophy Association for almost 50 years. Now senior vice president and executive director, Ross has built the MDA into a world-famous organization funding research and opening new avenues for the care of patients and their families
The Italian Arcetri Observatory (030) was moved in 1872 from the center of the city to Arcetri, near the house in which Galileo died. The original observatory, La Specola, was also associated with Galileo, and nineteenth-century directors included the comet hunters Pons, Donati and Tempel. It was Donati who moved the observatory to its present location.
Antonina Mikhailovna Churyumova (1907–2003) is the mother of astronomer Klim Churyumov. A poet who has participated actively in public issues in Ukraine, she has seven other children
Roger Venable (born 1950) is a physician specializing in primary care and emergency medicine. He is Coordinator of Mars Section of Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, and Vice President of International Occultation Timing Association. Roger has published articles on the atmosphere of Mars.
Toshihiko Ikemura (born 1952), a Japanese communications technician and amateur astronomer who co-discovered comet 76P/West–Kohoutek–Ikemura in March 1975. He has also endeavored to observe the planets photographically and independently made a map of Mars that is used by many observers.
Nikolaj Petrovich Karachentsov is an actor and singer at the Moscow Lenkom Theatre. As one review said, "He has a remarkable sense of rhythm and an exceptional voice, captivating audiences with his songs"
Vasilij Vasil'evich Boitsov (Bojtsov, 1908–1997), specialist on the technology of mechanical engineering and standardization. From 1963 to 1984 he headed the U.S.S.R. State Committee for standards and represented his country in the International Organization for Standardization, of which he served as president (1977–1979). Boitsov was an initiator and active participant in fundamental research on the creation of standard measurement systems. Name suggested by the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy and supported by the discoverer
Donald W. McCarthy (born 1948), American astronomer and educator at the University of Arizona. He specializes in infrared astronomy and instrumentation and has been an inspiration to his students and to the hundreds who have participated in his Astronomy Camps.
Edoardo Trussoni (born 1945) is an astrophysicist who has spent most of his career studying high-energy phenomena in active galactic nuclei and stars. He was director of the Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino from 2002 to 2005. The name was suggested by M. Di Martino
Barrett Duff (born 1923) coordinated the formation of the nonprofit, educational outreach organization Telescopes in Education (TIE) Foundation. His efforts were critical to the successful development of the TIE Foundation
Sheldon Marks (born 1956), a world-renowned urologist and surgeon whose book Prostate and Cancer has helped thousands of men with serious prostate-gland problems.
Francesco Zagar (1900–1976), Italian astronomer, professor at the University of Milan, director of the Brera Astronomical Observatory ([[List of observatory codes#|]])
William C. Feldman (born 1940) is the father of planetary neutron spectroscopy. His ingeniously designed instruments found evidence for ice at the lunar poles, Mercury's north pole, and in the high-latitude subsurface of Mars. He is loved for his open and generous collaborations and unrelenting enthusiasm for science.
Sheik Umar Khan (or Sheikh Humarr Khan; 1975–2014) was a Sierra Leonean virologist. Over his career, he saved hundreds of lives treating those with Lassa fever. In 2014, he led his nation's fight against a deadly Ebola outbreak, saving even more lives and inspiring others with his bravery.
Caltech's class of 1953 on the occasion of its 50th anniversary of graduation and their contributions to physics, engineering, chemistry, biology, geology, astronomy, mathematics and related fields
Robert M. Nelson (born 1943) has advanced the understanding of spectrophotometric and angular scattering properties of planetary regoliths, served on Voyager and Cassini instrument teams, and was the Project Scientist for Deep Space 1. He is a strong advocate for scientist privacy rights.
Amanda Hendrix (born 1968) has used UV spectroscopy to expand our knowledge of icy satellites, the Moon, asteroids, Mars and Io, by revealing surface compositions, weathering processes and radiation products. She was Cassini Deputy Project Scientist, worked on LRO LAMP, and assessed Europa missions.
Flora McGarvey Smrekar (1924–1977) had many ambitions and dreamed of pursuing her interests in a satisfying career. She instilled this same goal in her daughter, who became a planetary scientist. Flora faced many obstacles but has finally found a place among the stars
Jan Hunfeld (1934–2009) was a Dutch journalist at Boom-Pers in Meppel, publisher of the Meppeler Courant. In the 1980s and 1990s he edited a weekly science page in the Courant, in which he included news of the activities of the Royal Dutch amateur-astronomy society. The name was suggested by T. Jurriens
Terrence H. Bressi (Terry Bressi), engineer and member of Spacewatch at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory of the University of Arizona. He has constructed and improved telescopes and equipment for Spacewatch'es minor-planet and comet observations.
Vladimir Stepanovich Shpak (born 1909), distinguished technical organic chemist and director of the State Institute of Applied Chemistry in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) from 1953 to 1977. He was the initiator and organizer of fundamental, scientific and technical investigations of the main organic synthesis processes of new classes of chemical compounds. He has introduced new technologies into the chemical and petrochemical industries. At present he is the chairman of the Northwestern Scientific Board of the Russian Academy of Sciences on burning and the editor-in-chief of the journal Applied Chemistry
Kira Sergeevna Mansurova (1931–1990), an astronomer in Irkutsk known for her observations with the zenith telescope. She was director of the Astronomical Observatory of Irkutsk University for many years and lecturer of astronomy at the university and Pedagogical Institute in Irkutsk. An active popularizer of astronomy, she published a number of works on astrometry and methods of teaching astronomy
Hans Peter Kunz-Hallstein (born 1939), a German lawyer who has been a legal advisor for the European Southern Observatory for more than 20 years. A highlight of his work was the negotiations with the Chilean government over the interpretation, modification and amendment of the ESO-Chile agreement of 1963
Adelaide Casely-Hayford (1868–1960) was a Sierra Leonean educator, activist, and feminist. She worked to preserve Sierra Leonean heritage and promote cultural pride under British rule. A talented orator, she promoted African art and started a school for girls.
Dolores Huerta (born 1930) is a Mexican-American civil rights leader. She co-founded the National Farmworkers Association, which won significant protections for farmworkers. She has won numerous awards for this work, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.
The small town of George West in South Texas. It is the home of George West High School, and the George West Mobile Observatory, from which physics teacher Kenneth Zeigler and a group of George West High School students have used CCD photometry to determine the rotational periods of many asteroids.
Benedetto Castelli (1578–1643) studied mathematics in Padova and was a favorite pupil of Galileo, with whom he discussed the significance of the phases of Venus in the Copernican theory. He also published works on fluids in motion, and is universally recognized as the founder of modern hydrodynamics.
Alan Sims (1920–1995), a naval officer who moved to Dublin in 1953 and became chairman of the Dublin Astronomy Association. On his retirement in 1983 he moved to Bath, where he took an active part in the William Herschel Society, serving first as secretary and later as vice chairman. He was also editor of the society's bulletin. Historians and librarians around the world corresponded with him, as he answered queries about the Herschels. Named by the discoverers following suggestions by F. Ring and S. Kimura
Camillo Golgi (1843–1926) was an Italian scientist, physician and biologist. The Golgi apparatus, Golgi tendon organ, Golgi tendon reflex and Golgi receptor are named after him. In 1906 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his studies on the structure of the nervous system.
Francesco Lana de Terzi (1631–1687), an Italian Jesuit, professor of physics and mathematics, first explored the concept for a vacuum airship, bringing human flight into the field of science. He also originated the idea and concept of an alphabet for the blind, which was developed later by Louis Braille.
Richard Sanderson (born 1955) is Curator of Physical Science at the Springfield Science Museum in Massachusetts, USA. He has been actively involved in developing and presenting popular astronomy public outreach programs for several decades.
Macgregor S. Reid, a highly regarded manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For the past ten years he has been technical executive assistant to the director, responsible for planning and identifying issues of significance to the national space program and the laboratory's future. Reid is internationally recognized for his activities concerning international standard-setting. This object is being named to honor him on his retirement after a 30-year career at JPL. Citation prepared by E. C. Stone
Manaslu (Kutang) in the Himalayas, the eighth highest mountain in the world at 8,163 metres (26,781 ft). The summit was first reached by the Japanese party led by Maki Yūkō in 1956
Moretto da Brescia (c. 1498–1554), Italian painter recognized as one of the masters of the Italian Renaissance and produced fine altarpieces and religious works. His works are exhibited all over the world, including at the National Gallery of London.
Kyu Sakamoto (1941–1985), Japanese singer. This minor planet also honors the other members of the musical trio: Rokusuke Ei (lyricist) and Hachidai Nakamura (composer). (In Japanese, "Roku" means "6", "Kyu" is "9", and "Hachi" is "8").
The Surgical Department of the hospital in the Italian village of Manerbio, located a few kilometers from the Bassano Observatory. The name, a contraction of Chirurgia (Surgery) and the name of the village, is presented in honor of the doctors, nurses and all the personnel of the hospital for the competence, absorption and passion they devote to the care of patients
Cesar Chavez (1927–1993) was a Mexican-American civil rights leader. He co-founded the National Farmworkers Association, which won significant protections for farmworkers. His birthday is a holiday in several US states, and he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994.
