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]
Laurenne Greco (born 1991) and Mattia Vivarelli (born 1986), Italian amateur astronomers engaged in meteor research atSan Marcello Pistoiese Observatory
John Peate (1820–1902) was an amateur optician who fabricated large telescope mirrors in the late 19th century, culminating with a 62" mirror in 1897, then the largest in the world. That mirror is now kept in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History in Washington DC.
Bernard Anthony Harris Jr. (born 1956) is a former NASA astronaut who flew on two space shuttle missions. In 1993, he was a mission specialist who carried out research as part of Spacelab D-2. As Payload Commander on the space shuttle in 1995, he became the first African American to conduct a spacewalk.
Winston Elliott Scott (born 1950) is a former NASA astronaut who has flown two missions into space. Scott completed three spacewalks to retrieve satellites and evaluate the assembly of the International Space Station. He also performed experiments about the effects of zero gravity on the human body.
Robert Lee Curbeam Jr (born 1962) is a retired NASA astronaut and the first person to perform four spacewalks on a single mission. While in space Curbeam helped to fix a solar panel and install a new truss in the International Space Station. He has totaled more than 37 days in space and 45 hours on spacewalks.
Stephanie Diana Wilson (born 1966) is a NASA astronaut and the second African American women to fly in space. She has flown on three missions and as of 2020, she has logged the most time in space of any African American astronaut (42 days). She also served as the ground commander for the first all-women spacewalk in 2019.
Joan Higginbotham (born 1964) is an electrical engineer and former NASA Astronaut. She actively participated in 53 space shuttle launches as an engineer at Kennedy Space Center before becoming the third African American woman to go into space.
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]