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.
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]
Gal Sarid (born 1981) is a research scientist at the Florida Space Institute who studies the thermal evolution of comets and asteroids, and the early compositional evolution of the solar system.
Latin term for "something that has been replaced or restored to its former place"; this minor planet was originally lost soon after discovery, then found again†
Adam McKay (born 1986) is a postdoctoral fellow at the American University and NASA-GSFC (USA) who studies the volatile composition of comets through high-resolution spectroscopy at optical and IR wavelengths.
Jonathan Bradshaw (b. 1965) is an English-Australian occultation observer who in 2021 noticed the single blink of a star 7.4 radii from dwarf planet Quaoar where no event was expected. Independent observations by R. Langersek and J. Broughton led to it being reported to Paris Observatory as a Neptune-like ring, with nothing detected on the outbound side.
Renato Langersek (b. 1964) is a Slovenian-Australian occultation observer who co-discovered dwarf-planet Quaoar's unique Q1R ring, having recorded a star's brief disappearance in 2021. The discovery surprised the science community when it was announced in 2023. The ring is an enigma in that its radial distance far exceeds the long-established Roche Limit.
Yakage honjin, located in southwestern Okayama, was a traditional accommodation for the daimyo and other Shogunate officials while on the road in the Edo Period. Only upper-class persons could stay or have meals there. It is designated as an important cultural property of Japan.
Aladdin is the central character in a well-known folk tale of the same name. The story originates from western China or possibly the Middle East. It tells of Aladdin's battle with evil sorcerers to gain control of a magic lamp containing a genie who emerges to grant wishes whenever the lamp is rubbed.
Toichi Sakata (b. 1948) contributed to the promotion of science and technology in Japan. In addition, during his tenure as the President of the Japan Space Forum, he made a great contribution to the development of asteroid observation and debris observation, and worked hard to operate the Bisei Spaceguard Center.
Kent Stevens (born 1952) has considerable expertise in Artificial Intelligence and Modeling and Simulation. He was a former Observatory Director at Hidden Valley Observatory in South Dakota and re-designed, engineered and replaced the original telescope following a severe vandalism incident.
Molleigh Elena Struble (1994–2010) grew up nearYerkes Observatory, where she volunteered for educational programs such as one connecting Yerkes and the Science Museum, Tokyo.
TheCounty Palatine of the Rhine ("Kurpfalz") goes back to a territory of the Holy Roman Empire. In the Congress of Vienna in 1815 it was separated from Rheinland. The region around Heidelberg–Mannheim (now a part of Baden–Württemberg) is today still called "Kurpfalz" referring also to the people talking "Kurpfälzisch".
Olivier Gasnault (born 1973) specializes in remote sensing and is deeply involved in the exploration of the Moon and Mars, both from orbit and on the ground with the Curiosity Rover. Name and citation provided by S. Le Mouelic.
Walt Harris (born 1964) is a professor at the University of Arizona who studies thin atmospheres with an emphasis on comets. He also develops instrumentation for high-resolving power spectroscopy that has been used in ground and suborbital observations of comets and the interplanetary medium.
Christophe Sotin (born 1958), chief scientist of the proposed Titan orbiterOceanus atJPL and director of the Laboratory for Planetology and Geodynamics at theUniversity of Nantes
Vincenzo Millucci (born 1947), an Italian science communicator and professor of mathematical physics at theUniversity of Siena. He established the university's Torre Luciana Observatory in Florence.
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]