Asteroid 4 Vesta. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCAL/MPS/DLR/IDAThe April 2017 IAU Minor Planet Center circular was filled with over 190 newly named asteroids – more than I’ve ever seen before in a MPC circular! And that’s pretty much all that was in the circular! The May 2017 circular was devoid of newly named asteroids.
Since there are so many names in the April circular, I’m splitting it up into several posts. In this portion, some notable names include: science fiction author Philip K. Dick, poet and author Maya Angelou, activist Lilly Ledbetter, and the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli. Several astronomers, scientists and employees at the Lowell Observatory got asteroids named after them. Some notable locations that got named asteroids include: the Benedictine Abbey in Weltenburg, Ojmjakon – the coldest city on earth, and the French city of Angers.
(9004) Peekaydee = 1982 UZ2
Discovered 1982 Oct. 22 by G. Aldering at Kitt Peak.
Philip Kindred Dick (1928–1982) was an American science fiction author. His short stories and novels explored philosophical, sociological and political themes, often questioning what it meant to be human. Many of his works have been made into movies, such as Blade Runner, Total Recall and Minority Report.
President Barack Obama presenting Maya Angelou with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Feb. 2011. Credit: Office of the White House(9011) Angelou = 1984 SU
Discovered 1984 Sept. 20 by A. Mrkos at Kleť.
Maya Angelou (1928–2014), born Marguerite Annie Johnson, was an American poet, author, and civil rights activist. She came to fame with her first autobigraphical book “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. Six more autobiographies followed, and many other books of essays and poetry, as well as plays, movies, and TV shows.
(19331) Stefanovitale = 1996 XL33
Discovered 1996 Dec. 4 by M. Tombelli and C. Casacci at Cima Ekar.
Stefano Vitale (b. 1951) is a full professor of Physics at University of Trento. He is the PI of the LISA Technology Package payload on board the LISA Pathfinder mission of the ESA, launched in 2015 as a precursor to a space-borne gravitational wave observatory.
(21054) Ojmjakon = 1990 VL5
Discovered 1990 Nov. 15 by E. W. Elst at the European Southern Observatory.
The coldest city on earth, Ojmjakon, lies in the Republic of Yakutia (Siberia, Russia), in the valley of the upper Indigirka river, at 740 metres above sea level. With an average temperature of -48°C in January, it has a lowest record of -70°C.
Near Oymyakon in Yakutia, Russia. You’re cold just looking at this photo, aren’t you? Credit: Maarten Takens / Creative Commons(22406) Garyboyle = 1995 QW5
Discovered 1995 Aug. 22 by Spacewatch at Kitt Peak.
Gary Boyle (b. 1957) is a Canadian amateur astronomer who leads club activities, runs outreach events, teaches a college course and writes a stargazing column. Name suggested by R. and P. Jedicke.
(22498) Willman = 1997 LY2
Discovered 1997 June 5 by Spacewatch at Kitt Peak.
Mark Willman (b. 1952) received his Ph.D. in planetary astronomy from the University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy and began working with Pan-STARRS1 in 2013. Name suggested by R. and P. Jedicke.
(25159) Michaelwest = 1998 SN57
Discovered 1998 Sept. 17 by the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth Object Search at the Anderson Mesa Station.
Michael West (b. 1959) is the Deputy Director for Science at Lowell Observatory. His research focuses on star clusters and galaxies. He was PI for six Hubble Space Telescope projects and has authored two books, including A Sky Wonderful with Stars.
Follow Dr. West on Twitter: https://twitter.com/curatedcosmos
(25160) Joellama = 1998 SN58
Discovered 1998 Sept. 17 by the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth Object Search at the Anderson Mesa Station.
Joseph “Joe” Llama (b. 1988) is a tenure track astronomer at Lowell Observatory. He started at Lowell as a postdoc working with Evgenia Shkolnik. His research is broadly focused on stars and extrasolar planets. Joe is also an amateur photographer.
(25161) Strosahl = 1998 SR58
Discovered 1998 Sept. 17 by the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth Object Search at the Anderson Mesa Station.
Susan Strosahl (b. 1960) has been a employee of Lowell Observatory since 2003. She has a degree in computer engineering. She started working in the public program and is currently working as an observer at Lowell’s Navy Precision Optical Interferometer.
(25232) Schatz = 1998 TN33
Discovered 1998 Oct. 14 by the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth Object Search at the Anderson Mesa Station.
Dennis Schatz (b. 1947) is an American astronomer and educator who was Vice-President of the Pacific Science Center, President & workshop leader for the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, author of 23 children’s books on science, and codeveloper of educational programs like Project ASTRO & Portal to the Public.
(29439) Maxfabiani = 1997 MQ1
Discovered 1997 June 28 at Farra d’Isonzo.
Maximilian Fabiani (1865–1962), commonly known as Max Fabiani, was a central European architect and urban planner of mixed Italian-Austrian ancestry. He designed remarkable buildings in Vienna, Ljubljana, Trieste and Gorizia.
(30281) Horstman = 2000 HH57
Discovered 2000 Apr. 24 by the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth Object Search at the Anderson Mesa Station.
Helen Horstman (b. 1936) is a long-time employee of Lowell Observatory, starting in 1964 and retiring in 2007. Helen served as observatory secretary, cataloged images from the Planetary Patrol, and became executive secretary to the director. Since retiring, she has volunteered in the library.
The 4.3-meter Discovery Channel Telescope. Credit: Lowell Observatory.(30524) Mandushev = 2001 MY24
Discovered 2001 June 16 by the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth Object Search at the Anderson Mesa Station.
Georgi Mandushev (b. 1962) is an assistant research scientist at Lowell Observatory who developed the data analysis pipeline that was instrumental in making the TrES exoplanet discoveries. He continues to follow up some TrES targets and is also responsible for the operating software for Lowell’s Discovery Channel Telescope.
(30525) Lenbright = 2001 MX28
Discovered 2001 June 27 by the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth Object Search at the Anderson Mesa Station.
Len Bright (b. 1957) is an observer/technical assistant at Lowell Observatory. He carried out the site characterization observations for Lowell’s Discovery Channel Telescope and has primary responsibility for day-to-day operations at Lowell’s Anderson Mesa site. He is currently extending his efforts into the software area.
(30533) Saeidzoonemat = 2001 OV4
Discovered 2001 July 16 by the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth Object Search at the Anderson Mesa Station.
Saeid Zoonemat Kermani (b. 1962) is a software engineer at Lowell Observatory. He has developed all of the instrument user interface software and much of the instrument control software for Lowell’s Discovery Channel Telescope. His software is also used in airborne work with HIPO on SOFIA.
SOFIA Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy flying over the Sierras with her door open. Credit NASA photo/Jim Ross(31435) Benhauck = 1999 BH14
Discovered 1999 Jan. 23 by ODAS at Caussols.
Ben Hauck (b. 1978) has been an amateur astronomer for most of his life and is heavily involved in astronomy education and outreach. He is a passionate activist in the fight against climate change.
(32014) Bida = 2000 HL64
Discovered 2000 Apr. 26 by the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth Object Search at the Anderson Mesa Station.
Thomas A. Bida (b. 1959) is an instrument scientist at Lowell Observatory. He has developed instruments for Lowell’s Discovery Channel Telescope and for Lowell’s telescopes at Anderson Mesa. He also actively pursues a program of research on Mercury’s atmosphere.
(41481) Musashifuchu = 2000 QE35
Discovered 2000 Aug. 28 by BATTeRS at Bisei SG Center.
Fuchu is the name of the place where Kokuhu (the ancient Japanese provincial government office) was located. Fuchu City in Tokyo Metropolis has been called Musashi Fuchu, because it was the Kokuhu of the province of Musashi. Its name symbolizes the history and culture of the city.
(41502) Denchukun = 2000 QK147
Discovered 2000 Aug. 23 by BATTeRS at Bisei SG Center.
Denchukun is the official mascot character of Ibara city, Okayama, Japan. Its name originates from Denchu Hirakushi, a sculptor born in Ibara. Its shape represents a star in the famous Kabuki play Kagami-Jishi.
(44039) de Sahagún = 1998 DS33
Discovered 1998 Feb. 27 by E. W. Elst at the European Southern Observatory.
Bernardino de Sahagún (1499–1590) was a Franciscan missionary who after arriving in Mexico in 1529 researched the indigenous cultures of the country. He believed that in order to convert the Aztecs to Christianity it was necessary to understand their gods.
(52295) Köppen = 1990 VK4
Discovered 1990 Nov. 15 by E. W. Elst at the European Southern Observatory.
Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) was a Russian-German botanist-climatologist. He developed the most popular system, still used, for a vegetation-based classification of the climate in different regions, a subdivision of climates into five major types, all but one defined by temperature criteria
Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. Legend: A-Tropical, B-Arid, C-Temperate, D-Cold, E-Polar. Credit: Peel, M. C., Finlayson, B. L., and McMahon, T. A.
Huitzilopochtli. Credit: Public Domain(52387) Huitzilopochtli = 1993 OM7
Discovered 1993 July 20 by E. W. Elst at the European Southern Observatory.
Huitzilopochtli is an Aztec god associated with the sun. His name, meaning “hummingbird of the south” came from the Aztec belief that the spirits of killed warriors followed the sun through the sky during four subsequent years. Thereafter they were transformed into hummingbirds.
(70449) Gruebel = 1999 TK17
Discovered 1999 Oct. 15 by W. D. Bruton and M. L. Johnson at Nacogdoches.
Robert W. Gruebel (1924–2016) was a Professor of Physics at Stephen F. Austin State University, and a mentor, colleague and friend of the discoverer.
(72447) Polińska = 2001 DP
Discovered 2001 Feb. 16 by P. Pravec and L. Šarounová at Ondřejov.
Magdalena Polińska (b. 1981) is an assistant professor researcher at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland. She specializes in photometric observations of minor solar system bodies. Her current research interests also include stellar spectroscopy and abundance analysis. Citation provided by T. Michałowski.
(84118) Bracalicioci = 2002 RE26
Discovered 2002 Sept. 3 by F. Bernardi at Campo Imperatore.
Davide Bracali Cioci (b. 1986) is a celestial mechanician who graduated from the University of Pisa. He provides an important contribution in developing software for space dynamics, in particular related to asteroids and impact monitoring activities.
(85196) Halle = 1991 TG3
Discovered 1991 Oct. 4 by F. B ¨orngen and L. D. Schmadel at Tautenburg.
Halle (Saale) in Saxony Anhalt is a large city containing the university of Halle-Wittenberg, the academy of Art and Design, and the Franckesche foundation. It is the native town of Handel.
(85198) Weltenburg = 1991 TC6
Discovered 1991 Oct. 2 by F. B ¨orngen and L. D. Schmadel at Tautenburg.
The famous Benedictine Abbey in Weltenburg on the Danube is the oldest monastery in Bavaria. It was founded around 600 CE and the monks have brewed beer there since 1050. It is the world’s oldest monastic brewery.
View of Weltenburg Abbey, on the Danube. Credit: Octobrist / Creative Commons(85214) Sommersdorf = 1992 SZ1
Discovered 1992 Sept. 21 by F. Börngen and L. D. Schmadel at Tautenburg.
Sommersdorf is a municipality in the northern part of Bavaria. Every five years since 1968, the Franconian Passion Play has been presented there on an open-air stage with 400 participants, two-thirds of whom live in the municipality.
(85216) Schein = 1992 SL17
Discovered 1992 Sept. 24 by F. Börngen and L. D. Schmadel at Tautenburg.
Johann Herman Schein (1586–1630), born and died in Saxony, was cantor of Leipzig’s Thomanerchor for 16 years. He belongs to the grand three “S” of baroque music in Germany: the three composers Schütz, Schein and Scheidt, were born in 1585, 1586 and 1587, respectively.
(90711) Stotternheim = 1990 TB10
Discovered 1990 Oct. 10 by F. Börngen and L. D. Schmadel at Tautenburg.
Stotternheim is a village near Erfurt, where the young Martin Luther began his study. He travelled to his parents in Mansfeld. On the way back he was surprised by a heavy thunderstorm near Stotternheim. Luther vowed, if he survived, that he would become a monk.
(95951) Ernestopalomba = 2003 QG6
Discovered 2003 Aug. 18 by F. Bernardi at Campo Imperatore.
Ernesto Palomba (b. 1967) is a planetary scientist at INAF-IAPS, active in the research of minor bodies. At the beginning of his career he was a CINEOS survey team member. His main interests are compositional studies of asteroid surfaces by means of hyperspectral images.
(95955) Claragianni = 2003 QX32
Discovered 2003 Aug. 21 by E. Palomba at Campo Imperatore.
Clara Cagnacci (b. 1933) and Giannantonio Palomba (1932–2015) are the parents of the discoverer. They supported the fascination of their son for astronomy from his youth, as an amateur astronomer, to his maturity, when he obtained a permanent position as an astronomer.
(113659) Faltona = 2002 TQ85
Discovered 2002 Oct. 2 by E. Palomba at Campo Imperatore.
Faltona is a rural Tuscan village located in the Pratomagno mountain range. In the past, this area was a popular crossroads dominated by the Abbey of S. Trinit, whose ruins are still present along with a medieval stone bridge.
(117384) Halharrison = 2004 YD16
Discovered 2004 Dec. 18 by Mt. Lemmon Survey at Mount Lemmon.
Hal Harrison (b. 1947) is an amateur astronomer and photographer and has always been fascinated by planetary science and astronomy. His career began with his working on IBM mainframe computers and evolved along with changes in technology. He is presently head driver at Wormhole Racing.
(129982) Jeffseabrook = 1999 UJ45
Discovered 1999 Oct. 31 by the Catalina Sky Survey.
Jeff Seabrook (b. 1976) is part of the altimetry team developing the capability to generate topography and shape models from the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter. Prior to this, he was a graduate student who developed and deployed atmospheric ozone lidars, and part of the MET team on the Phoenix Mars Mission.
Giovanni Battista Lacchini. Credit: Public Domain.(145962) Lacchini = 1999 YH5
Discovered 1999 Dec. 29 by V. S. Casulli at Colleverde.
Giovanni Battista Lacchini (1884–1967) was an Italian astronomer, noted for his work on variable stars. He published over 100 papers and was a founding member of the AAVSO. A crater on the farside of the moon bears his name.
(166622) Sebastien = 2002 SR15
Discovered 2002 Sept. 27 by NEAT at Palomar.
Sébastien Rodriguez (b. 1976) is an assistant professor at the University of Paris Diderot and specializes in remote sensing of planetary surfaces and atmospheres. Name suggested and citation written by S. Le Mouélic.
(167976) Ormsbymitchel = 2005 GS8
Discovered 2005 Apr. 1 by V. Reddy at Goodricke-Pigott.
Ormsby MacKnight Mitchel (1809–1862) was an astronomer who founded the Cincinnati Observatory and later became director of the Dudley Observatory. He published the first popular journal of astronomy (The Sidereal Messenger) in the United States and confirmed that the star Antares is a double star.
(184318) Fosanelli = 2005 GC1
Discovered 2005 Apr. 2 by C. Rinner at Ottmarsheim.
Patrik Fosanelli (b. 1945) is an active French amateur astronomer , involved in spectroscopy research at the Osenbach Observatory. He promotes the use of spectroscopy by amateur astronomers.
A taula on the island of Menorca. Credit: ZenTrowel/Public DOmain(216295) Menorca = 2007 LX14
Discovered 2007 June 11 at OAM Observatory, La Sagra.
Menorca is the most eastern and northern island of the Balearic Islands (Spain). It was declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1993 by UNESCO, and contains important megalithic monuments (navetas, talayots and taulas).
(226672) Kucinskas = 2004 HH5
Discovered 2004 Apr. 16 by K.Černis and J. Zdanavicius at Moletai.
Arunas Kucinskas (b. 1967) is a professor at the Astronomical Observatory of Vilnius University. He is an expert in stellar astronomy, astrochemistry and 3D modeling of atmospheres of red giant stars. He is an author of more than 100 scientific papers and many popular science articles.
(262419) Suzaka = 2006 UK63
Discovered 2006 Oct. 20 by Y. Sorimachi and A. Nakajima at Nyukasa.
Suzaka is a city of about 50 000 inhabitants located in northern Nagano prefecture. In the past it prospered from silk-reeling industries and many traditional Japanese white-walled warehouses remain.
Andalucia Region, Spain. Credit: Google Maps.(266465) Andalucia = 2007 OH
Discovered 2007 July 16 at OAM Observatory, La Sagra.
Andalucia (Andalusia) is an autonomous Spanish community with the largest number of inhabitants spread out over 80,000 km2. The community is key to the history of southern Europe, and its ports were essential to the discovery and exploration of America.
(293383) Maigret = 2007 EZ38
Discovered 2007 Mar. 11 by B. Christophe at Saint-Sulpice.
Jules Maigret, French police detective and Commissaire a la Brigade Criminelle de Paris, was a character created by writer Georges Simenon in 1931.
(303265) Littmann = 2004 RH111
Discovered 2004 Sept. 8 by J. W. Young at Wrightwood.
Mark Littmann (b. 1939) is a professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Tennessee, where he holds the Julia G. & Alfred G. Hill Chair of Excellence in Science, Technology, and Medical Writing. He is also the author of many astronomy related texts.
(304788) Cresques = 2007 NZ1
Discovered * 2007 July 13 at OAM Observatory, La Sagra.
Cresques Abraham (1325–1387) was a Majorcan Jewish geographer and cartographer. His Catalan Atlas (1375), stored in the Bibliotheque National de Paris, is considered one of the pinnacles of medieval cartographic knowledge.
Self-Portrait with Cigarette – Henri Edmond Cross. Public Domain(321485) Cross = 2009 SK19
Discovered 2009 Sept. 18 by B. Christophe at Saint-Sulpice.
Henri-Edmond Cross (1856–1910), born Henri-Edmond-Joseph Delacroix, was a French painter and printmaker. He is most acclaimed as a master of Neo-Impressionism, and he played an important role in shaping the second phase of that movement.
Self-portrait by French engraver, writer, art historian and administrator Vivant Denon. Public Domain.(324925) Vivantdenon = 2007 WO1
Discovered 2007 Nov. 17 by B. Christophe at Saint-Sulpice.
Dominique Vivant Baron Denon (1747–1825) was a French artist, writer, diplomat, author, and archaeologist. He was appointed as the first Director of the Louvre museum by Napoleon after the Egyptian campaign.
(330455) Anbrysse = 2007 EV31
Discovered * 2005 Nov. 9 by P. De Cat at Uccle.
This name is dedicated to the people who lost their fight, those who are still fighting and the ones who will have to fight cancer. It is named after An Brysse (b. 1969), the most successful participant in 2016 of the fund-raising event “Loop naar de maan” (“Run to the moon”) for Belgian cancer research.
(331105) Giselher = 2009 XG9
Discovered 2009 Dec. 13 by R. Kracht at Sonoita (IRO).
Dietrich Giselher Kracht (b. 1944) is the elder brother of the discoverer, who introduced him to astronomy at the observatory of the Olbers-Gesellschaft in Bremen.
(355029) Herve = 2006 RH
Discovered 2006 Sept. 1 by C. Rinner at Ottmarsheim.
Jacquinot Herve (b. 1953) is a very enthusiastic French amateur astronomer. He is also a radio ham, a private pilot and a sailor.
(366852) Ti = 2005 RL9
Discovered 2005 Sept. 8 by J. Lacruz at La Cañada.
Teresa (“Ti”) Lacruz Martin (b. 1954) is the eldest sister of the discoverer. She is a law graduate of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and she works as Senior Director of Environment, Health and Safety & Ethics at General Dynamics European Land Systems.
(371220) Angers = 2006 BD8
Discovered 2006 Jan. 22 by J.-C. Merlin at Nogales.
Angers is a city in western France about 300 km southwest of Paris. It is chef-lieu of the Maine-et-Loire department and was, before the French Revolution, the capital of the province of Anjou. In the 5th century BCE, the Celtic people of the Andes settled in the region of Angers and gave it its name.
Angers, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France. The banks of the Maine seen from the Château d’Angers, with the Verdun bridge in the foreground. Credit: Tango7174/Wikimedia Commons
Lilly Ledbetter. Credit: Molly Theobald/Wikimedia Commons(403563) Ledbetter = 2010 LY97
Discovered 2010 June 13 at WISE.
Lilly Ledbetter (b. 1938) is an American who fights for pay equity. Upon discovering she was being paid less than her male colleagues, she sued her employer (Goodyear). Her case inspired passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009.
(424200) Tonicelia = 2007 NV1
Discovered 2007 July 12 at OAM Observatory, La Sagra.
Antonio Celia Miro (b. 1969) is a Spanish software engineer and advanced amateur astronomer. He built his observatory in 2011, with a self-built computerized mount and an inexpensive 0.15-m Newtonian. He is interested in astrometry, photometry and in pro-am collaborations.
(449922) Bailey = 2015 OM9
Discovered * 2010 June 9 at WISE.
Ronald W. Bailey (b. 1958) supported mission operations for NASA spacecraft including Topex, Jason and WISE/NEOWISE in a career that spanned more than 35 years.
(452307) Manawydan = 1997 XV11
Discovered 1997 Dec. 5 by ODAS at Caussols.
In Welsh mythology, Manawydan ab Llỹr (son of Llỹr) was a scholar, a magician and a peaceful man.
(455739) Isabelita = 2005 JG2
Discovered 2005 May 2 by J. Lacruz at La Cañada.
Isabel Izquierdo Lacruz (b. 1988) is the niece of the discoverer and is a 2012 graduate in sociology from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
(471109) Vladobahýl = 2010 CO12
Discovered 2010 Feb. 12 by S. Kurti at Mayhill.
Vladimír Bahýl (b. 1948), Associate Professor Emeritus at the Technical University in Zvolen, constructed a computed tomography scanner used in dendrology. As an amateur astronomer he is a dedicated observer of variable stars, asteroids and meteors. He built his own observatory named after his granddaughter, Julia.
Source: http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/ECS/MPCArchive/2017/MPC_20170413.pdf
