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 published in MPC's Minor Planet Circulars several times a year.[1] Recent citations can also be found on the JPL Small-Body Database (SBDB).[2] 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.[3][4] Based on Paul Herget's The Names of the Minor Planets,[5] Schmadel also researched the unclear origin of numerous asteroids, most of which had been named prior to World War II. Meanings marked with * are from legacy sources may not be accurate. This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document "SBDB".
Serge Corporon (born 1948), French electronics engineer, who works with the discoverer in constructing a very sensitive CCD camera for the Meudon Observatory
The Adirondack Astronomy Retreat was designed to inspire observers to return to their astronomical roots. Since its inception in 2004, this retreat allowed many dark-sky enthusiasts to enjoy, share, and bond under some of the best observing conditions in the northeastern portion of North America.
Hien Nguyen (born 1968) is a systems engineer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. He served as the Senior Ground Systems Hardware Engineer for the New Horizons Mission to Pluto.
Allan Offenberger (born 1938), Canadian physicist, professor emeritus at the University of Alberta, and thesis advisor of the discoverer Bernard Christophe
Gyula Zsivótzky (1937–2007) was a Hungarian hammer thrower. Olympic champion in 1968, silver medalist in 1960 and 1964, and winner of the Summer Universiade in 1965, Zsivótzky set two world records, and he was elected as Hungarian Sportsman of the Year in 1965 and 1968. Name suggested by Z. Kolláth.
Augustin Macheret (born 1938), Swiss professor of law and rector of the University of Fribourg, chairman of the Foundation Robert A. Naef, owner of the discovery site
Amanjot Singh (born 1988) was an undergraduate student in the Pre-Major in Astronomy Program at the University of Washington, where he conducted research into discovering asteroids using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.
Amy Rose (born 1987) is an American astronomer who helped discover asteroids as a part of her undergraduate research with the Pre-Major in Astronomy Program at the University of Washington.
Giovanni Lambertini (1916–1997), an Italian friar and science enthusiast, one of the founders of the group of amateur astronomers in Ravenna, Italy, and mentor of two of the discoverers
Zvyagel, ancient name of Novohrad-Volynskyi, Ukraine, birthplace of Larysa Petrivna Kosach, a.k.a. Lesya Ukrainka, 19th–20th-century poet and writer, on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of Zvyagel in 2007
Nestled in the beautiful landscape of Muehlviertel (Upper Austria), Gramastetten is a resort for relaxing and for pleasure trips. Gramastetten is the site of an observatory outpost of the Linz public observatory.
Francis Nimmo (born 1971), a professor at the University of California at Santa Cruz, who served as a Science Team Collaborator for the interior geophysics investigation for the New Horizons mission to Pluto