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 |
---|---|---|---|
164006 Thierry | 2003 UT185 | Thierry Christophe (born 1948), French entomologist and brother of astronomer Bernard Christophe who discovered this minor planet | JPL · 164006 |
Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
---|---|---|---|
164130 Jonckheere | 2003 YY21 | Robert Louis Charles Jonckheere (1888–1974), French amateur astronomer who observed visual double stars | JPL · 164130 |
Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
---|---|---|---|
164215 Doloreshill | 2004 MF6 | Dolores H. Hill (born 1956), American meteoriticist | JPL · 164215 |
164268 Hajmási | 2004 VV69 | József Hajmási (1910–2010), Hungarian physicist, teacher and amateur astronomer | JPL · 164268 |
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 |
---|---|---|---|
There are no named minor planets in this number range |
Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
---|---|---|---|
164518 Patoche | 2006 HN18 | Patrice Christophe (born 1945), French architect and brother of astronomer Bernard Christophe who discovered this minor planet. "Patoche" is his nickname. | JPL · 164518 |
164536 Davehinson | 2006 HF150 | David P. Hinson (born 1954), a Senior Research Scientist at Stanford University, served as a Co-Investigator for Radio Science for the New Horizons Mission to Pluto. | JPL · 164536 |
164585 Oenomaos | 2007 ND2 | King Oenomaus of Pisa was the son of Ares by Harpina and father of Hippodamia | JPL · 164585 |
164586 Arlette | 2007 NL4 | Arlette Naef (born 1949), wife of Swiss amateur astronomer Peter Kocher who discovered this minor planet | JPL · 164586 |
164587 Taesch | 2007 OS | Paul Taesch (1927–), early astronomical mentor of French amateur astronomer Claudine Rinner who discovered this minor planet | JPL · 164587 |
164589 La Sagra | 2007 PC11 | La Sagra, at 2382 meters the highest peak of the Cordillera Subbética mountain range of southern Spain and home of the discovering La Sagra Observatory | JPL · 164589 |
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 |
---|---|---|---|
164701 Horanyi | 1998 AX9 | Mihaly Horanyi (born 1955) is Professor of Physics at the University of Colorado, who served as a science team Co-Investigator and as the Principal Investigator of the Student Dust Counter instrument for the New Horizons Mission to Pluto. | JPL · 164701 |
164791 Nicinski | 1999 FJ70 | Tom Nicinski (born 1960), American software engineer with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey | JPL · 164791 |
164792 Owen | 1999 FD78 | Russell Owen (born 1959), American engineer with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey | JPL · 164792 |
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 |
---|---|---|---|
There are no named minor planets in this number range |