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".
Marie Marsina (born 1952) currently serves as the President of the National Art League in New York City and as Vice President of the Douglaston Civic Association. She is a graduate of Pace University's Lubin School of Business.
Sylvestre (Sly) Maurice (born 1966), a planetary astronomer specialized in lunar and Martian exploration. He has been a lead-developer of Martian rover instruments.
Steve Irwin (1962–2006), an Australian zookeeper and conservationist, known for his TV-series The Crocodile Hunter. "Crikey!", was his signature phrase.
Jean-Claude Merlin (born 1954), French astronomer, founder-president of the Burgundy Astronomical Society (French: Société astronomique de Bourgogne) and discoverer of minor planets. "Nilrem" is "Merlin" backwards, because of pre-existing 2598 Merlin.