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]
Eric De Jong (born 1946) works on the scientific visualization of planetary surfaces and atmospheres and the evolution of planetary systems dynamics at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Ronald Ferdie (1939–2007) worked in the aerospace industry in the early days of the Apollo program at the Marshall Space Flight Center. He served in the executive of a number of amateur astronomy clubs across the U.S., inspiring and encouraging many beginners to the endeavor.
Milan Wudia (1963–2007) was an outstanding Czech engineer and a pioneer of automated telescopes. He worked at the Nicolas Copernicus Observatory and Planetarium in Brno, and among his works was a computer control system of the Ondřejov 0.65-m telescope with which this minor planet was discovered.
Brian L. Enke (born 1964) is a systems and data analyst, and planetary scientist, atSouthwest Research Institute, and also a recognized science-fiction author. He has participated in multiple interplanetary spacecraft missions and in the discovery of several asteroid satellites from imaging.