Asteroid Names
I love asteroid names.
When you discover an asteroid, you get to propose a name. Names are formally approved by a working group of the International Astronomical Union. I joined that working group in 2018.
Rules govern what names can be used, though these rules have changed over time.
Many asteroids are named after noteworthy individuals, such as 5102 Benfranklin or 95962 Copito, an albino gorilla. Some are whimsical, such as 24680 Alleven and 13579 Allodd, or funny, like 88705 Potato. 6510 Tarry is a grateful tribute. 16232 Chijagerbs is a romantic gesture. Many are named after astronomers, including me!
I’ve had the privilege and pleasure of proposing asteroid names to honor extraordinary individuals. (I do not vote on names I submit.) These are the asteroids I have named, along with their citations:
2024
(20053) Cavefish
There are over 250 fish species that are adapted to living in subterranean caves. Small, blind, and lacking pigment, cavefishes are evolutionary marvels. Comparisons between the DNA of different cavefish species can be used to unravel geologic history. Many cavefishes are threatened by human activity.
2022
(10731) Dollyparton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (b. 1946) is a musician, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She has composed thousands of songs, including megahits “Jolene”, “I Will Always Love You” and “9 to 5.” She is known for her charitable works, including relief for wildfire victims, free books to support early childhood literacy, and contributions to COVID-19 research.
2019
(6849) Doloreshuerta
Dolores Clara Fernández Huerta (b. 1930) is a Mexican-American civil rights leader. She co-founded the National Farmworkers Association, which won significant protections for farmworkers. She has won numerous awards for this work, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.
(6486) Anitahill
Anita Hill (b. 1956) is an American attorney and professor. Her testimony in the confirmation hearings of US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas inspired generations of women to speak out against harassment and led to more women in US politics. She continues to advocate for human rights.
(6781) Sheikhumarrkhan
Sheik Humarr Khan (1975-2014) was a Sierra Leonean virologist. Over his career, he saved hundreds of lives treating those with Lassa fever. In 2014, he led his nation's fight against a deadly Ebola outbreak, saving even more lives and inspiring others with his bravery.
(6848) Casely-Hayford
Adelaide Casely-Hayford (1868-1960) was a Sierra Leonean educator, activist, and feminist. She worked to preserve Sierra Leonean heritage and promote cultural pride under British rule. A talented orator, she promoted African art and started a school for girls
(32730) Lamarr
Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000) was a Austrian-American inventor and actress. Along with George Antheil, she developed technology for a radio guidance system to assist the Allied war effort in WWII. These technologies are used in current Bluetooth systems.
(5559) Beategordon
Beate Sirota Gordon (1923-2012) was an Austrian-born American. In 1946, at age 22, she was responsible for the inclusion of women's rights into the Japanese constitution. To protect that work, she remained silent about her contributions for much of her life.
(5749) Urduja
Urduja was a 14th century warrior princess from the Philippines. Well-educated, young, and a fierce warrior, she ruled the kingdom of Tawalisi.
(5773) Hopper
Grace Hopper (1906-1992) was an American computer scientist and rear admiral in the United States Navy. A pioneer in programming, she invented one of the first compilers and was instrumental in the development of COBOL. She was awarded over 40 honorary degrees in her lifetime, as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
(6238) Septimaclark
Septima Poinsette Clark (1898-1987) was an American educator and civil rights activist. She played a key part of the American Civil Rights Movement, recognizing how literacy and education empowers marginalized groups.
(6982) Cesarchavez
Cesar Chavez (1927-1993) was an Mexican-American civil rights leader. He co-founded the National Farmworkers Association, which won significant protections for farmworkers. His birthday is a holiday in several US states, and he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994.
(7026) Gabrielasilang
María Josefa Gabriela Cariño Silang (1731-1763) was a leader of the Filipino fight for independence from Spain. A statue honoring her in Manila depicts her on a rearing horse, brandishing a bolo knife.
(7052) Octaviabutler
Octavia Estelle Butler (1947-2006) was an African American author. Her work won multiple Hugo and Nebula awards and is praised for its incisive social criticism.
(7091) Maryfields
"Stagecoach" Mary Fields (c. 1832–1914) was an African-American folk hero and trailblazer. She was a mail carrier in Montana in her 60's, braving harsh weather but never missing a day. Loved by her community, her birthday was a local holiday. She refused to be limited by social norms or laws.
(7321) Minervahoyt
Minerva Hamilton Hoyt (1866-1945) was an American activist. She advocated for desert regions and plants, educating people across the nation. Thanks to her efforts, California created Joshua Tree, Death Valley, and Anza-Borrego Desert parks. Over 2.5 million people now visit the Joshua Tree park each year.
(5622) Percyjulian
Percy Lavon Julian (1899–1975) was an African American chemist. His groundbreaking work into synthesizing medical drugs from plants paved the way for medications that hundreds of millions of people use today. In his lifetime he received over one hundred medical patents.
(5647) Sarojininaidu
Sarojini Naidu (1879-1949) was an Indian poet. She advocated for non-violence as a means for social change and was responsible for much of the strategic planning that eventually led to Indian independence. She is well known for writing The Golden Threshold, a collection of poems
2017
(359426) Lacks
Henrietta Lacks (1920-1951) was an American woman whose cancer cells, taken without her knowledge, became one of the most important tools in medicine. Her cells were used to develop the polio vaccine and other medical advances. Her story serves as a powerful symbol of the importance of informed consent in science.
2015
(316201) Malala
Malala Yousafzai (b. 1997) is a Pakistani human rights activist who advocates for the rights of women and girls and worldwide access to education. She survived an assassination attempt in 2012 and continued her activism. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
2014
(284996) Rosaparks
African-American Rosa Parks (1913-2005) refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955. Her action forced the city to end segregation of public buses and spurred efforts throughout the United States to end segregation. She is known as the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.
(241528) Tubman
Harriet Tubman (c. 1822-1913) was a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad. After escaping from slavery herself in Maryland, she escorted more than 300 enslaved people to freedom, despite numerous risks to her own life.
(249521) Truth
Sojourner Truth (c. 1797-1883) was an American abolitionist and advocate for women's rights. She delivered the famous speech known as "Ain't I a Woman?" and fought tirelessly against slavery, for universal suffrage and for prison reform.
Have you discovered a minor planet?
Are you proposing a name to the IAU?
I have created the following list of suggestions to help you select a name and craft a citation, based on my experience on the IAU Small Bodies Nomenclature Working Group.
These suggestions are intended to increase transparency of the naming process. These are not rules, and discoverers are encouraged to first read the relevant naming rules. Each name and citation is evaluated individually by the working group. The working group may approve names that do not follow these suggestions.
Accuracy and Originality
You are encouraged to spend time crafting a thoughtful, original citation. Some members of the Working Group do not look kindly upon citations that have been plagiarized from sources such as Wikipedia.
As typos or grammatical errors in the citation can slow the approval process, it is good practice to have a citation reviewed by a second person before submission. (If you are a non-native English speaker, I would be happy to review your citation. You can contact me here.)
It is your responsibility to ensure that the citation is factually accurate. For names proposed for individuals, this includes birth years and preferred pronouns.
Clarity
Citations are for a broad, worldwide audience. This includes non-scientists. Therefore, the working group encourages you to limit or avoid the use of acronyms.
The citation should be easy to read and understand. Generally, a citation composed of two or three shorter sentences is more clear than one long sentence. The citation should be written with complete sentences, not a series of bullet points.
For names proposed for individuals, the citation is not intended to be a complete biography.
Names are considered for clarity and uniqueness. Although the working group evaluates names on a case-by-case basis, you may wish to propose a name that has a unique pronunciation. For example, if you wish to name an asteroid after "Jane Smyth" and there is already an asteroid "Smith", we would encourage you to submit the name "Janesmyth" instead of "Smyth," which can not be distinguished from "Smith" when said aloud. Although the IAU does not have pronounciation rules for names, common pronunciations are often considered by the Working Group.
Cultural endorsement
When submitting a name that derives from a culture not your own, we encourage you to work with members of that culture in both name selection and citation writing. If you have collaborated with a cultural group, the working group encourages you to describe that process in a separate email to the working group chair and vice-chair. This will speed up the name evaluation process.
Avoid commercial ties
A naming rule states, “Names of a purely or principally commercial nature are not allowed.” The working group has, at times, interpreted this to include names of characters in popular movie and TV franchises.