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.
Official naming citations of newly named small Solar System bodies are approved and published in a bulletin by IAU's Working Group for Small Bodies Nomenclature (WGSBN). [1] Before May 2021, citations were published in MPC's Minor Planet Circulars for many decades. [2] Recent citations can also be found on the JPL Small-Body Database (SBDB). [3] Until his death in 2016, German astronomer Lutz D. Schmadel compiled these citations into the Dictionary of Minor Planet Names (DMP) and regularly updated the collection. [4] [5]
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]
Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
---|---|---|---|
161092 Zsigmond | 2002 OL28 | Vilmos Zsigmond (1930–2016), Academy Award-winning Hungarian-American cinematographer | JPL · 161092 |
Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
---|---|---|---|
There are no named minor planets in this number range |
Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
---|---|---|---|
161207 Lidz | 2002 TW305 | Adam Lidz (born 1973), American astronomer with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey | JPL · 161207 |
161215 Loveday | 2002 UL66 | Jonathan Loveday (born 1963), British astronomer with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey | JPL · 161215 |
161230 Martinbacháček | 2002 XO90 | Martin Bacháček z Nauměřic (c. 1539–1612) was a Czech mathematician and astronomer, rector of Charles University in Prague, and a friend, collaborator and supporter of Johannes Kepler. | IAU · 161230 |
161278 Cesarmendoza | 2003 FW128 | Cesar Mendoza (1962–2008), Venezuelan astrophysicist | JPL · 161278 |
Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
---|---|---|---|
161315 de Shalit | 2003 QS5 | Amos de-Shalit (1926–1969), an Israeli nuclear physicist | JPL · 161315 |
161349 Mecsek | 2003 SJ127 | Mecsek is a mountain range in southern Hungary | JPL · 161349 |
161371 Bertrandou | 2003 SO244 | Bertrand Christophe (born 1976), son of French discoverer Bernard Christophe, named for Bertrandou le Fifre, a character in Edmond Rostand's play Cyrano de Bergerac | JPL · 161371 |
Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
---|---|---|---|
There are no named minor planets in this number range |
Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
---|---|---|---|
161545 Ferrando | 2004 XP16 | Rafael Ferrando (born 1966), Spanish astronomer, discoverer of minor planets and founder of the Pla D'Arguines Astronomical Observatory (Spanish: Observatorio Astronomico Pla D'Arguines ) in Valencia | JPL · 161545 |
161546 Schneeweis | 2004 XT16 | LtCdr (USN) Scott Schneeweis, American early U.S. space program historian, webmaster of † | JPL · 161546 |
161585 Danielhals | 2005 GN184 | Daniel W. Hals (born 1983) is a software engineer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, who served as the Ground Systems Software Lead for the New Horizons Mission to Pluto. | JPL · 161585 |
161592 Sarahhamilton | 2005 PN24 | Sarah A. Hamilton (born 1974) is an operations manager at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. She served as the Mission Operations Planning Lead Manager for the New Horizons Mission to Pluto. | JPL · 161592 |
Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
---|---|---|---|
161693 Attilladanko | 2006 HL46 | Attilla Danko (born 1955), Canadian software designer and amateur astronomer | JPL · 161693 |
161699 Lisahardaway | 2006 HR140 | Lisa Hardaway (1966–2017) was a program manager for Ball Aerospace, who managed the Ralph spectral imaging instrument for the New Horizons Mission to Pluto. | JPL · 161699 |
Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
---|---|---|---|
161715 Wenchuan | 2006 MZ12 | The memory of the 90,000 people who lost their lives in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake (or "Wenchuan earthquake") in China | JPL · 161715 |
161750 Garyladd | 2006 SQ285 | Gary Ladd (born 1947) is a photographer and author. He has spent over 40 years shooting iconic images of national parks in and around the Colorado Plateau. Ladd has a deep appreciation for geology and nature that is captured in his stunning photographs. | IAU · 161750 |
Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
---|---|---|---|
161835 Barbmcclintock | 2006 XY50 | Barbara McClintock (1902–1992) was an American scientist and cytogeneticist. She was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of genetic transposition. McClintock was the third woman elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and the first elected president of the Genetics Society of America. | IAU · 161835 |
Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
---|---|---|---|
161913 Hunyadi | 2007 EA | The Hunyadi family was a Hungarian noble family, whose members played a decisive role in the history of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary. János Hunyadi was governor of Hungary and Viceroy of Transylvania, while King Matthias Corvinus made Hungary a significant Renaissance power by European standards. | IAU · 161913 |
161962 Galchyn | 2007 HE84 | The small village of Galchyn, location of the Andrushivka Astronomical Observatory in Andrushivka, northern Ukraine | JPL · 161962 |
161975 Kincsem | 2007 LO | Kincsem was the most successful Thoroughbred race horse ever, having won 54 races for 54 starts | JPL · 161975 |
161989 Cacus | 1978 CA | Cacus, from Roman mythology, a fire-breathing son of the fire good Vulcan. Cacus was killed by Jupiter's son, Hercules. | JPL · 161989 |