Meanings of minor planet names: 90001–91000
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 approved and published in a bulletin by IAU's Working Group for Small Bodies Nomenclature (WGSBN).[1] Before May 2021, citations were published in MPC's Minor Planet Circulars for many decades.[2] Recent citations can also be found on the JPL Small-Body Database (SBDB).[3] 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.[4][5]
Based on Paul Herget's The 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 the public domain: SBDB New namings may only be added 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]
90001–90100[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90022 Apache Point | 2002 TL371 | The Apache Point Observatory, owned and operated by the Astrophysical Research Consortium, is the site of the 2.5-meter Sloan Digital Sky Survey telescope and the 3.5-meter ARC telescope. | JPL · 90022 |
90101–90200[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90125 Chrissquire | 2002 XR80 | Chris Squire (1948–2015), an English musician and co-founder of the rock music group Yes; 90125, the 1983 studio album by Yes. | JPL · 90125 |
| 90138 Diehl | 2002 YD | Jacqueline Diehl (born 1963), American first chair of the White Sands Star Party, member of the Alamogordo Astronomy Club, manager of Space Camp at the New Mexico Museum of Space History, and education and public outreach coordinator at the National Solar Observatory | JPL · 90138 |
| 90140 Gómezdonet | 2002 YK2 | Josep Juliá Gómez Donet, a Spanish astronomer and a discoverer of minor planets. He is one of the pioneers in CCD astrometric observation of minor planets and comets in the Valencia region, known for his work at the Marxuquera Observatory. He is a friend of the discoverer, Rafael Ferrando (Src). | JPL · 90140 |
90201–90300[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90226 Byronsmith | 2003 BS15 | Byron Smith (born 1973), a mechanical engineer by training, is project manager for Lowell Observatory's Discovery Channel Telescope. | JPL · 90226 |
| 90278 Caprese | 2003 DH9 | Caprese Michelangelo is a village in the province of Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy. It is the birthplace of the Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564) and of the astronomer Giovanni Santini (1787–1877), who was director the Astronomical Observatory of Padua from 1817 to 1877. | IAU · 90278 |
| 90279 Devětsil | 2003 DL10 | Devětsil, Czech avant-garde group of artists active from 1920 to 1930 | JPL · 90279 |
| 90288 Dalleave | 2003 ET17 | Sergio Dalle Ave (born 1955), an Italian technician and night assistant at the Asiago Astrophysical Observatory since 1982, is an expert in graphics and in the enhancement of photographic plates. He contributed to the Asiago-DLR Asteroid Survey (ADAS) project by acquiring and storing data with the Schmidt telescope in Asiago. | JPL · 90288 |
90301–90400[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90308 Johney | 2003 FV14 | John Ey (born 1952) is a photographer in Tucson who specializes in natural scenic images of the American west. He is also an amateur paleontologist primarily interested in carnivore dentition | JPL · 90308 |
| 90317 Williamcutlip | 2003 FZ42 | William Cutlip (born 1960), the Launch Segment Manager for the OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission. | JPL · 90317 |
| 90328 Haryou | 2003 FQ85 | HARYOU (Harlem Youth Opportunities Unlimited) | JPL · 90328 |
| 90370 Jókaimór | 2003 NY5 | Mór Jókai (1825–1904), a Hungarian dramatist and novelist, was an imaginative, humorous and romantic writer. His work allows one to form a good idea of the character of this great Hungarian romancer and patriot. He was also a stargazer and owned an 8-cm refractor. | JPL · 90370 |
| 90376 Kossuth | 2003 VL | Lajos Kossuth (1802–1894) was a Hungarian lawyer, journalist, politician and governor-president of Hungary during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848-–1849. He was widely honored during his lifetime, including in the U.K. and U.S., as a freedom fighter and advocate for democracy in Europe | JPL · 90376 |
| 90377 Sedna | 2003 VB12 | Sedna, Inuit goddess of the sea | JPL · 90377 |
| 90383 Johnloiacono | 2003 WN89 | John Loiacono (born 1962), the Deputy Project Manager for the OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission. | JPL · 90383 |
| 90388 Philchristensen | 2003 WY152 | Phil Christensen (born 1953), the Instrument Scientist for the OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer. He is an expert on the geology of planetary surfaces. He was also the Principal Investigator for the infrared spectrometers and imagers on the Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey and Mars Exploration Rovers. | JPL · 90388 |
| 90396 Franklopez | 2003 YA4 | Frank Lopez (born 1955) is the owner of StellarVision Astronomy Shop in Tucson, Arizona. As such he has built many of the local amateur observatories, spoken to thousands of children at local schools and helped many budding astronomers | JPL · 90396 |
| 90397 Rasch | 2003 YW4 | Charlie Rasch (1937–2011), a well-known Jazz/Ragtime pianist in the Detroit area of Michigan. He was featured in about a dozen albums in the last 50 years. | JPL · 90397 |
90401–90500[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90414 Karpov | 2003 YP110 | Anatoly Karpov (born 1951), Russian chess grandmaster and World Champion for 16 years | JPL · 90414 |
| 90429 Wetmore | 2004 BW37 | Shirley R. Wetmore (born 1947) was the senior curator at the University of Arizona Mineral Museum. In 2001 she received the university's Staff Excellence award. She has been a dedicated member and officer of the Tucson Gem and Mineral Society, which hosts the annual international Tucson Gem and Mineral Show | JPL · 90429 |
| 90446 Truesdell | 2004 BL107 | Robert Truesdell (born 1967) is a Tucson businessman and gifted amateur paleontologist specializing in the fossils of the American southwest | JPL · 90446 |
| 90447 Emans | 2004 BB109 | Mike Emans (born 1944) is a Seattle-area retired computer operations manager formerly with the Department of Information Services for the state of Washington. He is also a semi-professional guitarist with a group called "Common Threads" that played in the Washington area | JPL · 90447 |
| 90449 Brucestephenson | 2004 BR116 | C. Bruce Stephenson (born 1929) was appointed the Warner professor of astronomy at Case Western Reserve University and the Warner and Swasey Observatory in 1988. In 1977 he was co-discoverer of the unusual star SS 433 | JPL · 90449 |
| 90450 Cyriltyson | 2004 BR117 | Cyril deGrasse Tyson (1927–2016), American director of HARYOU (see 90328 Haryou) | JPL · 90450 |
| 90453 Shawnphillips | 2004 CM | Shawn Phillips (born 1943) is a singer/songwriter. Rooted in folk music, he also performs jazz fusion and funk. Phillips has released 26 albums and worked with many other artists, including Donovan, Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton. | IAU · 90453 |
| 90455 Irenehernandez | 2004 CU2 | Irene González Hernández (1969–2014) was a Spanish-American astronomer who worked as part of the GONG program to make major contributions to our understanding of the inhomogeneous internal structure of the Sun, as well as that of the otherwise invisible far-side of the Sun. | JPL · 90455 |
| 90461 Matthewgraham | 2004 CS35 | Matthew Graham (born 1971), a computational scientist working on analysis of massive data sets and sky surveys, including the Palomar-Quest and Catalina Real- Time Transient survey. | JPL · 90461 |
| 90463 Johnrichard | 2004 CS39 | John B. Dixon (born 1923) and Richard R. Dixon (born 1927), American amateur astronomers, in recognition of their help in transporting observatory domes from Michigan to New Mexico and then in the construction of the Jornada Observatory | JPL · 90463 |
| 90471 Andrewdrake | 2004 CF98 | Andrew Drake (born 1969), a scientist at the Center for Advanced Computing Research. | JPL · 90471 |
| 90472 Mahabal | 2004 CT99 | Ashish Mahabal (born 1970), a scientist at the California Institute of Technology. | JPL · 90472 |
| 90479 Donalek | 2004 CC109 | Ciro Donalek (born 1973) is a computational scientist who has applied machine learning to the analysis of massive data sets and sky surveys, including the Palomar- Quest and Catalina Real-Time Transient surveys. | JPL · 90479 |
| 90480 Ulrich | 2004 CG109 | Carl Ulrich (born 1925) is an American fossil preparator, known for his work on the fossils of the Green River Formation of Wyoming. He has instructed hundreds of people in his preparation techniques. His fossils can be seen in museums worldwide and at his gallery just outside the southern boundary of Fossil Butte National Monument. | JPL · 90480 |
| 90481 Wollstonecraft | 2004 DA | Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797), a British writer, philosopher, and early feminist | JPL · 90481 |
| 90482 Orcus | 2004 DW | Orcus, Roman god of the underworld, punisher of broken oaths | JPL · 90482 |
| 90487 Witherspoon | 2004 DW12 | Tom Witherspoon Sr. (1921–2014) was a well known fossil educator in the Midwest U.S. Thousands of people, not just children, were introduced to the world of paleontology through his efforts and generosity. In 2007 he received the Charles H. Sternberg award for outstanding lifetime achievement in the field of paleontology | JPL · 90487 |
90501–90600[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90502 Buratti | 2004 EM7 | Bonnie J. Buratti (born 1952), American senior research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, studies photometric properties of the surfaces of outer planet natural satellites and the small bodies of the solar system. She is a member of the science teams for the Clementine, Deep Space 1, Cassini–Huygens and New Horizons missions. | JPL · 90502 |
| 90503 Japhethboyce | 2004 EP10 | Japheth Boyce (born 1956), an American paleontologist in South Dakota, is best known for his exquisite fossil preparation seen in museums around the world. | JPL · 90503 |
| 90525 Karijanberg | 2004 FB2 | Karen (born 1953), wife of the discoverer James Whitney Young, and her parents, Richard (1928–1978) and Janet Halberg (1932–1997). | JPL · 90525 |
| 90526 Paullorenz | 2004 FQ11 | Paul Gregory Lorenz (born 1952), a professional pianist and has been an avid amateur astronomer, deep sky observer and astrophotographer since the 1960s. | JPL · 90526 |
| 90528 Raywhite | 2004 FE19 | Raymond E. White Jr. (1933–2004), an American astronomer, archaeoastronomer who worked on globular clusters, best known and admired for his commitment to teaching and for his work as an advisor to undergraduates. Between 1964 and 1999 he was progressively an instructor, lecturer and professor at the University of Arizona. | JPL · 90528 |
| 90533 Laurentblind | 2004 FB29 | Laurent Blind (born 1965) a French computer programmer and boyfriend for 18 years of the discoverer Claudine Rinner. His knowledge of programming was a great help in building and automatizing the observatory. He is also a paraglider and equestrian. | JPL · 90533 |
| 90564 Markjarnyk | 2004 GJ2 | Mark Andrew Jarnyk (1963–2006) was an Australian software engineer at the Australian National University's Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics. He made significant contributions to instrumentation for the Gemini Observatory and the JACARA project. This asteroid is the first numbered discovery from the Siding Spring Survey. | JPL · 90564 |
| 90579 Gordonnelson | 2004 GF39 | Gordon Nelson (born 1956), an American amateur paleontologist in southern Arizona. He is a co-discoverer of the Sonorasaurus in the desert east of Tucson, Arizona. | JPL · 90579 |
90601–90700[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90672 Metrorheinneckar | 1977 RH | The Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region with 2.4 million people along the Rhine and Neckar rivers in south western Germany includes the cities of Heidelberg, Mannheim and Ludwigshafen, and 21 universities and research institutions. | JPL · 90672 |
| 90698 Kościuszko | 1984 EA | Tadeusz Kościuszko (1746–1817), a Polish military engineer who assisted in the American revolution with the design and building of military fortifications, including at West Point, New York. | JPL · 90698 |
90701–90800[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90703 Indulgentia | 1988 RO3 | Indulgentia, Latin for "indulgence, goodness, kindness, love, tenderness, fondness", and also "the gratification of another's desires, inclinations or humors" | JPL · 90703 |
| 90709 Wettin | 1990 TX3 | Wettin Castle, a castle near Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, ancestral seat of the Wettiner dynasty | JPL · 90709 |
| 90711 Stotternheim | 1990 TB10 | The German village of Stotternheim near Erfurt, where the young Martin Luther began his study. | JPL · 90711 |
| 90712 Wittelsbach | 1990 TE13 | Burg Wittelsbach, a castle ruin near Aichach in Bavaria, Germany, ancestral seat of the Wittelsbacher dynasty | JPL · 90712 |
| 90713 Chajnantor | 1990 VE3 | Chajnantor (5000 m), a plateau in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, where the Atacama Large Millimeter Array will be constructed | JPL · 90713 |
| 90717 Flanders | 1991 PF3 | Flanders is the Dutch-speaking northern part of Belgium. In the late Middle Ages it was one of the richest and most urbanized parts of Europe, and a very sophisticated culture developed, with impressive achievements in the arts and architecture. | IAU · 90717 |
| 90718 Castel Gandolfo | 1991 RW3 | Castel Gandolfo is a small Italian town and the summer residence of the popes. The headquarters of the Vatican Observatory are located in the town. | IAU · 90718 |
| 90732 Opdebeeck | 1992 PO | Pierre Opdebeeck (born 1928), a philanthropist, was a financial adviser to Belgian industry for many years. After his retirement he started his study of 18th century French Enlightenment. | JPL · 90732 |
90801–90900[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90806 Rudaki | 1995 AE | Rudaki (858–941) was a Persian poet, considered the founder of classical Persian literature. | JPL · 90806 |
| 90817 Doylehall | 1995 RO | Doyle Hall is an American astronomer and a key member of the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing (AMOS) team, which supports a number of minor planet programs, including JPL's Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking program. | JPL · 90817 |
| 90818 Daverichards | 1995 RR | Dave Richards (born 1957) was the AMOS Commander during the last years of the twentieth century, ardently supporting the search for near-earth objects in collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. | JPL · 90818 |
| 90820 McCann | 1995 SS1 | Jeff McCann (born 1962) was the AMOS Commander during the early years of the twenty-first century. He ensured that funding and support was always available for the NEAT program, and he was an inspiration to all who worked with him. | JPL · 90820 |
| 90821 Augustsedláček | 1995 SA2 | Description available (see ref). Please summarize in your own words. | IAU · 90821 |
| 90825 Lizhensheng | 1995 SU53 | Li Zhensheng (born 1931) initiated wide-hybridization between common wheat and Thinopyrum ponticum and was also the originator of wheat-chromosome engineering in China. Several cultivars bred from the offspring of his distant hybridization have significantly improved wheat productivity in China | JPL · 90825 |
| 90826 Xuzhihong | 1995 TL1 | Xu Zhihong (born 1942), a Chinese botanist who steadfastly and effectively supported the development of Chinese astronomy during the periods when he was president of Beijing University and vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences | JPL · 90826 |
| 90830 Beihang | 1995 UX7 | Beihang University, founded in 1952, is one of the key institutes in the national agendas "211 Project" and "985 Scheme". It has made great contributions to China's aeronautic and astronautic industry, as well as social and economic development. | JPL · 90830 |
| 90837 Raoulvalentini | 1995 WT4 | Raoul Valentini (1908–1999), an Italian bookbinder, sundial maker and observer of variable stars. He was a member and secretary of the Italian Astronomical Society, and a co-founder of the Astronomical amateur society in Milan (Circolo Astrofili Milano). | IAU · 90837 |
| 90875 Hoshitori | 1996 VE1 | "Hoshitori" ("catching a starry sky") is a nickname for Tottori prefecture where Saji Observatory is located. Tottori has undertaken a dark skies campaign to preserve the night sky and it is one of the best dark sky locations in Japan. | IAU · 90875 |
| 90892 Betlémská kaple | 1997 BC | Bethlehem Chapel (Betlémská kaple), a medieval religious building in Prague, Czech Republic, notable for its connection with the religious reformer Jan Hus. He served there as an influential preacher from 1402 to 1412. The Chapel bearing the name of Bethlehem could contain almost 3000 people. It was restored in the 1950s. | JPL · 90892 |
90901–91000[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90918 Jasinski | 1997 PF1 | Christian Jasinski (born 1963) was the first webmaster of the Association des Utilisateurs de Détecteurs Electroniques. He helped in both English translation and computer science, specifically for the AudeLA software | JPL · 90918 |
| 90926 Stáhalík | 1997 SH1 | Martin Stáhalík (1962–2001), Czech aerobatic pilot. | JPL · 90926 |
| 90936 Neronet | 1997 TN19 | Neronet is a new red grape variety developed by Vilém Kraus (b.~1924) in Lednice in southern Moravia, Czech Republic | JPL · 90936 |
| 90937 Josefdufek | 1997 TP19 | Josef Dufek (born 1950) is a Moravian winemaker | JPL · 90937 |
| 90944 Pujol | 1997 UG3 | Michel Pujol (born 1957) created an Ethernet microcontroller designed for CCD cameras used by members of the Association des Utilisateurs de Détecteurs Electroniques. He is also a computer scientist who contributes to the AudeLA software | JPL · 90944 |
| 90953 Hideosaitou | 1997 VA9 | Hideo Saitou (born 1946) is the leader of activities of the Fukushima branch of the Japanese Young Astronauts Club, formed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. | JPL · 90953 |
References[edit]
- ^ "WGSBN Bulletin Archive". Working Group Small Body Nomenclature. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ "JPL – Solar System Dynamics: Discovery Circumstances". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
- ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2006). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – Addendum to Fifth Edition: 2003–2005. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. ISBN 978-3-540-34360-8. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ Herget, Paul (1968). The Names of the Minor Planets. Cincinnati, Ohio: Minor Planet Center, Cincinnati Observatory. OCLC 224288991.
- ^ "Guide to Minor Body Astrometry – When can I name my discovery?". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
- ^ "Minor Planet Naming Guidelines (Rules and Guidelines for naming non-cometary small Solar-System bodies) – v1.0" (PDF). Working Group Small Body Nomenclature (PDF). 20 December 2021.