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 |
---|---|---|---|
300082 Moyocoanno | 2006 US217 | Moyoco Anno (born 1971), a Japanese cartoonist and fashion writer | JPL · 300082 |
Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
---|---|---|---|
300124 Alessiazecchini | 2006 VG14 | Alessia Zecchini (born 1992), an Italian freediver, who set world and domestic records in free diving. | IAU · 300124 |
300128 Panditjasraj | 2006 VP32 | Pandit Jasraj (born 1930) is an exponent of Indian Classical vocal music. Jasraj is the recipient of numerous awards, honors, and titles including the prestigious Padma Vibhushan and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. His distinctive voice traverses a remarkable four-and-a-half octaves. | JPL · 300128 |
300150 Lantan | 2006 VN81 | Lan Tan, an elementary school by the Lan Lake side of the Chiayi City of Taiwan, is known for its natural science and astronomy education. It is also the location of Chia-Yi Amateur Astronomers Association. | IAU · 300150 |
Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
---|---|---|---|
300221 Brucebills | 2006 XA5 | Bruce G. Bills (born 1951), an American planetary scientist and director of JPL's "Asteroids, Comets, and Satellites Group" Scr | JPL · 300221 |
300226 Francocanepari | 2006 XK51 | Franco Canepari (born 1953) is the cofounder of Valdinievole Association of Astronomy A. Pieri. His major activity is devoted to the popularization of astronomy at the Planetarium of Monsummano Terme. He is also interested in observations of the Sun and planets. | JPL · 300226 |
300286 Zintun | 2007 OV4 | The Sun Moon Lake (Zintun), located in the middle of Taiwan, with an elevation of 748 meters above sea level, is the only natural big lake in Taiwan. The southern part of Lalu Island is shaped like a new moon, and the northern part is shaped like a sun; hence the name Sun Moon Lake. | IAU · 300286 |
300300 TAM | 2007 PL12 | The Taipei Astronomical Museum (abbreviated TAM) was the first and is the largest astronomy education and outreach organization in Taiwan. | JPL · 300300 |
Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
---|---|---|---|
300334 Antonalexander | 2007 RF18 | Anton Alexander König (born 2010), son of the discoverer, Michael König and Agathe Schmid-König from Germany | JPL · 300334 |
Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
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There are no named minor planets in this number range |
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 |
---|---|---|---|
300634 Chuwenshin | 2007 UT47 | Chuwenshin (1883–1939), a Chinese astronomer, was a pioneer who used modern scientific methods to study the ancient history of Chinese astronomy systematically and wrote a variety of books on this topic. | IAU · 300634 |
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 |
---|---|---|---|
300854 Changyuin | 2007 YV31 | Changyuin (1896–1958) was a Chinese astronomer, who established the first educational observatory at Sun Yat-Sen University in China in 1929. He discovered the variable star XX Cam in 1947. | IAU · 300854 |
300892 Taichung | 2008 BT15 | Taichung, third largest city of Taiwan | JPL · 300892 |
Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
---|---|---|---|
300909 Kenthompson | 2008 BZ45 | Ken Thompson (born 1943), an American pioneer of computer science | JPL · 300909 |
300928 Uderzo | 2008 CQ72 | Albert Uderzo (born 1927) the co-creator of comic book character Asterix. | JPL · 300928 |
300932 Kyslyuk | 2008 CL117 | Vitalij Stepanovych Kyslyuk (1940–2014), a Ukrainian astronomer. | JPL · 300932 |
300933 Teresamarion | 2008 CG118 | Teresa Marion Sanchez Caldentey (born 1993) is the daughter of astronomer Salvador Sanchez, who helped promote the activities of the Mallorca Observatory and planetarium. | IAU · 300933 |