Asminor planet discoveries are confirmed, they are given a permanent number by theIAU'sMinor Planet Center (MPC), and the discoverers can then submit names for them, following the IAU'snaming 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 namedsmall Solar System bodies are approved and published in a bulletin by IAU'sWorking Group for Small Bodies Nomenclature (WGSBN).[1] Before May 2021, citations were published in MPC'sMinor Planet Circulars for many decades.[2] Recent citations can also be found on theJPL Small-Body Database (SBDB).[3] Until his death in 2016, German astronomerLutz D. Schmadel compiled these citations into theDictionary of Minor Planet Names (DMP) and regularly updated the collection.[4][5]
Based onPaul Herget'sThe 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 thepublic domain: SBDB New namings may only beadded 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38018 Louisneefs | 1998 LN2 | Louis Neefs (1937–1980), a well-known Flemish singer | JPL · 38018 |
| 38019 Jeanmariepelt | 1998 LV2 | Jean-Marie Pelt (1933–2015), French botanist at theUniversité de Metz, founder of the European Institute of Ecology French:Institut européen d'écologie, author ofLa Cannelle et le panda | JPL · 38019 |
| 38020 Hannadam | 1998 MP | Hanna Smigiel (born 1971) and her son, Adam (born 1993), are Polish friends ofLuciano Tesi, who co-discovered this minor planet. | JPL · 38020 |
| 38024 Melospadafora | 1998 OB | Melo Spadafora (born 1962), a Panamanian amateur astronomer and member of the Panamanian Association of Amateur Astronomy (Spanish:Asociación Panameña de Aficionados a la Astronomia), who has been instrumental in the setup of the Panamanian Observatory (W95) (Observatorio Panameño en San Pedro de Atacama), in Chile. The observatory does follow-up observations of newly discovered small Solar System bodies. | IAU · 38024 |
| 38036 Waynewarren | 1998 RE1 | Wayne H. Warren Jr. (1940–2023), an American astronomer. | IAU · 38036 |
| 38044 Michaellucas | 1998 SL62 | Michael Lucas (born 1965) is a research associate in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of Tennessee. He studies the geochemical histories of asteroids using telescopic spectroscopy of asteroids and petrology and spectroscopy of analog meteorites. | IAU · 38044 |
| 38046 Krasnoyarsk | 1998 SW144 | Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Russia, where in 1772 the German zoologist and botanistPeter Simon Pallas identified a 700-kg stony-iron meteorite, now known as apallasite | JPL · 38046 |
| 38048 Blumenbach | 1998 UL18 | Ulrich Blumenbach (born 1964), German literary translator, best known for his translation ofDavid Foster Wallace's novelInfinite Jest | IAU · 38048 |
| 38050 Bias | 1998 VR38 | Bias from Greek mythology. He was an Athenian warrior, described as stalwart, who fought to prevent Hector from reaching the Greek ships. | IAU · 38050 |
| 38070 Redwine | 1999 GG2 | Kelley K. Redwine (born 1974), an American occupational therapist inTucson, Arizona | JPL · 38070 |
| 38083 Rhadamanthus | 1999 HX11 | Rhadamanthus, mythological son of Zeus and Europa, one of the three judges of the dead in Elysium (together with Aeacus and Minos) | JPL · 38083 |
| 38086 Beowulf | 1999 JB | Beowulf, hero of one of the oldest surviving texts from early Britain | JPL · 38086 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38203 Sanner | 1999 MJ | Glen Sanner, American co-author of the two-volumeNight Sky Observer's Guide, and member of the Huachuca Astronomy Club | MPC · 38203 |
| 38237 Roche | 1999 OF | Édouard Roche (1820–1883), French astronomer and mathematician | JPL · 38237 |
| 38238 Holíč | 1999 OW | The town ofHolíč in western Slovakia | JPL · 38238 |
| 38245 Marcospontes | 1999 PF4 | Marcos Pontes (born 1963), Brazilian astronaut | JPL · 38245 |
| 38246 Palupín | 1999 PL4 | The village of Palupín in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. It was first mentioned in 1368. St. Wenceslaus church was built by a local landlord in 1617. The family roots of co-discovererJana Tichá lie in this village. | JPL · 38246 |
| 38250 Tartois | 1999 QS2 | Lucien Tartois (1924–2011), French amateur astronomer | JPL · 38250 |
| 38268 Zenkert | 1999 RV32 | Arnold Zenkert (1923–2013), German author, amateur astronomer, and director of the Bruno H. Bürgel Memorial Plaza in Potsdam, Germany | MPC · 38268 |
| 38269 Gueymard | 1999 RN33 | Adolphe G. Gueymard (1913–?), American businessman, benefactor of theGeorge Observatory | JPL · 38269 |
| 38270 Wettzell | 1999 RJ35 | Geodetic Fundamental Station Wettzell in the Bavarian Forest, which supplies observational contributions to theInternational Terrestrial Reference System with satellite radio interferometry and laser ranging | JPL · 38270 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38423 Jeokjungchogye | 1999 RS226 | Jeokchung-Chogye bassin, a meteor crater in South Korea. | |
| 38431 Jeffbeck | 1999 RR232 | Geoffrey Arnold (Jeff) Beck (1944–2023) was an English guitarist and musician. Since the 1960s he had been widely recognized for his innovative sound and for his collaborations across a broad range of musical genres including rock, jazz fusion, blues, and instrumental. Beck is considered one of the most influential lead guitarists in history. | IAU · 38431 |
| 38442 Szilárd | 1999 SU6 | Leó Szilárd (1898–1964), Hungarian-German-American nuclear physicist and molecular biologist | JPL · 38442 |
| 38454 Boroson | 1999 TB2 | Todd A. Boroson (born 1954), American astronomer, deputy director of theNational Optical Astronomy Observatory | JPL · 38454 |
| 38461 Jiřítrnka | 1999 TR17 | Jiří Trnka (1912–1969), Czech graphic artist, painter, puppet-maker, film-maker, author and illustrator | JPL · 38461 |
| 38470 Deleflie | 1999 TL36 | Florent Deleflie (born 1975) is a French astronomer at IMCCE of the Paris Observatory, specializing in celestial mechanics, dynamics of artificial satellites, and long term orbit propagation. | IAU · 38470 |
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38540 Stevens | 1999 VG2 | Berton L. Stevens (born 1951), American amateur astronomer anddiscoverer of minor planets at theDesert Moon Observatory nearLas Cruces, New Mexico | JPL · 38540 |
| 38541 Rustichelli | 1999 VT6 | Vittorio Rustichelli (born 1927), Italian telescope maker and amateur astronomer | JPL · 38541 |
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38628 Huya | 2000 EB173 | Huya, rain god of the Wayuu Indians of Venezuela and Colombia | JPL · 38628 |
| 38636 Kitazato | 2000 LM27 | Kohei Kitazato (born 1980) is a planetary scientist who contributed to JAXA's Hayabusa and Hayabusa2 missions. His research includes physical and chemical properties of near-Earth asteroids. | IAU · 38636 |
| 38639 Samuels | 2000 NJ16 | David Samuels (b. 1959), an American amateur astronomer. | IAU · 38639 |
| 38640 Rau | 2000 NO16 | Steve Rau (b. 1972), a Belgian amateur astronomer. | IAU · 38640 |
| 38641 Philpott | 2000 NX16 | Lydia Philpott (born 1983) is a planetary geophysicist at the University of British Columbia. Lydia is a member of the OSIRIS-Rex mission to the asteroid (101955) Bennu, where she is a critical part of the team that developed shape models. | IAU · 38641 |
| 38642 Breukers | 2000 NY17 | Martin Breukers (b. 1961), a Dutch amateur astronomer and meteor observer. | IAU · 38642 |
| 38643 Scholten | 2000 NZ19 | Alex Scholten (b. 1962), a Dutch amateur astronomer. | IAU · 38643 |
| 38667 de Lignie | 2000 OT56 | Marc de Lignie (b. 1964), a Dutch physicist and an amateur astronomer. | IAU · 38667 |
| 38669 Michikawa | 2000 PX3 | Michikawa is the name of the area inYurihonjo City,Akita Prefecture, Japan. | JPL · 38669 |
| 38671 Verdaguer | 2000 PZ6 | Jacint Verdaguer (1845–1902), Spanish (Catalan) poet | JPL · 38671 |
| 38674 Těšínsko | 2000 PT8 | The region ofTěšínsko in south-eastern part ofSilesia, in 1920 divided betweenCzechoslovakia andPoland | JPL · 38674 |
| 38684 Velehrad | 2000 QK9 | The village ofVelehrad, Moravia, in the Czech Republic. It is the traditional seat of the great Moravian princes and ofArchbishop Methodius | JPL · 38684 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38821 Linchinghsia | 2000 RJ78 | Brigitte Lin (Lin Ching Hsia; born 1954), Chinese actress | JPL · 38821 |
| 38823 Nijland | 2000 RN87 | Jos Nijland (b. 1963), a Dutch amateur astronomer. | IAU · 38823 |
| 38827 ter Kuile | 2000 RQ93 | Casper ter Kuile (b. 1954), a Dutch amateur astronomer. | IAU · 38827 |
| 38828 van 't Leven | 2000 RQ94 | Jaap van 't Leven (b. 1966), a Dutch amateur meteor astronomer. | IAU · 38828 |
| 38829 Vandeputte | 2000 RQ96 | Michel Vandeputte (b. 1977), a Dutch amateur astronomer. | IAU · 38829 |
| 38830 Biets | 2000 RK99 | Jean Marie Biets (b. 1959), a Belgian amateur astronomer. | IAU · 38830 |
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38960 Yeungchihung | 2000 TS | Yeung Chi-hung (1953–2010), an avid stargazer since he was a teenager, was one of the founding members of the Hong Kong Astronomical Society. | JPL · 38960 |
| 38962 Chuwinghung | 2000 TN2 | Chu Wing Hung (Alan Chu; born 1946), Chinese amateur astronomer, compiler of the lunar atlas | JPL · 38962 |
| 38966 Deller | 2000 TW35 | Jakob Deller (born 1985) is a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute in Göttingen, Germany. He studies the formation, evolution, and internal structures of near-Earth asteroids and comets from spacecraft measurements. | IAU · 38966 |
| 38967 Roberthaas | 2000 TF36 | Robert Haas (b. 1964), a Dutch amateur astronomer. | IAU · 38967 |
| 38976 Taeve | 2000 UR | Nickname ofGustav Adolf Schur (born 1931), German cyclist | JPL · 38976 |
| 38980 Gaoyaojie | 2000 UJ2 | Gao Yaojie (born 1927), Chinese medical doctor, pioneer of AIDS prevention in China and winner of the 2001Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and Human Rights and ofVital Voices | JPL · 38980 |
| Preceded by | Meanings of minor-planet names List of minor planets: 38,001–39,000 | Succeeded by |
