Meanings of minor planet names: 37001–38000
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]
37001–37100
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37022 Robertovittori | 2000 UT1 | Roberto Vittori (born 1964), Italian astronaut | MPC · 37022 |
| 37044 Papymarcel | 2000 UE29 | Marcel Alphonse Merlin, father of French discoverer Jean-Claude Merlin. "Papy" is the French diminutive of "Father". | JPL · 37044 |
37101–37200
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37117 Narcissus | 2000 VU2 | Narcissus, hero from the territory of Thespiae in Boeotia who was renowned for his beauty | JPL · 37117 |
| 37141 Povolný | 2000 VZ38 | Dalibor Povolný, Czech biologist †[permanent dead link] | MPC · 37141 |
| 37163 Huachucaclub | 2000 WD11 | Huachuca Astronomy Club † | MPC · 37163 |
37201–37300
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37279 Hukvaldy | 2000 YK12 | Hrad Hukvaldy, one of the largest castles in the Czech Republic † | MPC · 37279 |
37301–37400
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37391 Ebre | 2001 XB | Observatori de l'Ebre, Roquetes-Tortosa, Spain † | MPC · 37391 |
| 37392 Yukiniall | 2001 XP16 | Yuki and Niall, children of co-discoverer Henri Boffin | JPL · 37392 |
37401–37500
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37432 Piszkéstető | 2002 AE11 | Piszkéstető, a 944 m peak on Mátra Mountains, Hungary, site of Piszkéstető Station | JPL · 37432 |
| 37452 Spirit | 4282 P-L | Spirit rover (Mars Exploration Rover A)† | MPC · 37452 |
| 37471 Popocatepetl | 7082 P-L | Popocatépetl, the 5462-m volcano in Mexico. | JPL · 37471 |
37501–37600
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37519 Amphios | 3040 T-3 | Amphios, son of Merops of Perkote, one of the allies of Priam, killed by Ajax to get his beautiful armour during the Trojan war | JPL · 37519 |
| 37530 Dancingangel | 1977 RP7 | Ekaterina Pavlova, a talented and bright individual who devoted her short life to oriental dance. A two-time champion of oriental dancing in the Republic of Crimea, she also won numerous other competitions. The name "Dancingangel" reflects her spiritual qualities and professionalism. | JPL · 37530 |
| 37556 Svyaztie | 1982 QP3 | Svyaz and Tie, Russian and English words meaning "connection", honouring the astronomical collaborations and friendships between the two superpowers, and also the exchange of neckwear by the co-discoverers on their first meeting in 1970 | JPL · 37556 |
| 37561 Churgym | 1988 CR | Churgym, a small Siberian river which forms a waterfall close to the site of the 1908 Tunguska explosion, which destroyed a large area of the Tundra forest. | JPL · 37561 |
| 37573 Enricocaruso | 1989 UB7 | Enrico Caruso, Italian tenor | JPL · 37573 |
| 37582 Faraday | 1990 TT3 | Michael Faraday, English naturalist, discoverer, amongst many things, of electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism, and the Faraday effect | JPL · 37582 |
| 37583 Ramonkhanna | 1990 TH8 | Ramon Khanna, German astrophysicist | JPL · 37583 |
| 37584 Schleiden | 1990 TC9 | Matthias Jakob Schleiden, German botanist, co-founder (with Theodor Schwann) of the field of cytology | JPL · 37584 |
| 37588 Lynnecox | 1991 GA2 | Lynne Cox, American long-distance swimmer | JPL · 37588 |
| 37592 Pauljackson | 1991 TG7 | Paul Jackson (born 1932), Professor emeritus at the Vienna University Observatory. | JPL · 37592 |
| 37596 Cotahuasi | 1991 VV6 | The Cotahuasi Canyon, near the Peruvian city of Arequipa, was formed by the Cotahuasi river. | JPL · 37596 |
37601–37700
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37601 Vicjen | 1992 GC1 | Vic and Jen Winter, popularizers of astronomy in rural Bolivia | JPL · 37601 |
| 37607 Regineolsen | 1992 RO7 | Regine Olsen, a Danish woman who was engaged to the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard and who had a great influence upon his works. | JPL · 37607 |
| 37608 Löns | 1992 SY16 | Herman Löns, German novelist and folk songwriter | JPL · 37608 |
| 37609 LaVelle | 1992 WS4 | Lewis LaVelle McCoy, civic-minded entrepreneur. | JPL · 37609 |
| 37623 Valmiera | 1993 RN4 | Valmiera (Wolmar), city in Northern Latvia | JPL · 37623 |
| 37627 Lucaparmitano | 1993 TD | Luca Parmitano (born 1976) is an Italian engineer and astronaut in the European Astronaut Corps for the European Space Agency. | JPL · 37627 |
| 37630 Thomasmore | 1993 TM20 | Thomas More (1478–1535), a philosopher, statesman and a noted Renaissance humanist. | JPL · 37630 |
| 37640 Luiginegrelli | 1993 WF | Luigi Negrelli (1799–1858) was an Italian engineer, known for his work on the Suez Canal. | JPL · 37640 |
| 37645 Chebarkul | 1994 CM13 | The city of Chebarkul where a large fragment the Chelyabinsk meteor penetrated the surface of Lake Chebarkul, creating an 8-meter diameter hole on 15 February 2013 | JPL · 37645 |
| 37646 Falconscott | 1994 CS13 | Robert Falcon Scott (1868–1912) was the first British explorer to reach the South Pole and explore Antarctica extensively by land. | JPL · 37646 |
| 37655 Illapa | 1994 PM | Illapa, the thunder or weather god of the Incas | JPL · 37655 |
| 37678 McClure | 1995 CR1 | Albert Edmund McClure, Irish engineer and antique astronomical instrument restorer | JPL · 37678 |
| 37683 Gustaveeiffel | 1995 KK | Gustave Eiffel (1832–1923) was a French civil engineer and architect. He is best known for the Eiffel Tower, built for the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris. | JPL · 37683 |
| 37687 Chunghikoh | 1995 QB10 | Chunghi Koh (Helen) Weber, American pharmacist and wife of the discovery team leader | JPL · 37687 |
| 37692 Loribragg | 1995 VX | Lori Bragg, American member of the Maui Economic Development Board, provider of technical support to the AMOS team | JPL · 37692 |
| 37699 Santini-Aichl | 1996 AH1 | Jan Blažej Santini-Aichl, 17th/18th-century Czech architect of Italian origin | JPL · 37699 |
37701–37800
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37706 Trinchieri | 1996 RN | Ginevra Trinchieri (born 1955) has worked on galaxies, groups, clusters and their evolution, particularly on their high energy properties. She is currently the president of the Italian Astronomical Society and the Italian representative and outreach contact in the IAU. | JPL · 37706 |
| 37720 Kawanishi | 1996 SH7 | Kawanishi is situated in the southern part of Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. | JPL · 37720 |
| 37729 Akiratakao | 1996 TK54 | Akira Takao, Japanese neurological physician and amateur astronomer (nova hunter) | JPL · 37729 |
| 37735 Riccardomuti | 1996 VL | Riccardo Muti (born 1941) is an Italian conductor. He holds three music directorships: the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; the Philadelphia Orchestra; and the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. Muti has been a prolific recording artist and has received dozens of honors, titles, awards and prizes. | JPL · 37735 |
| 37736 Jandl | 1996 VU6 | Ivan Jandl, 20th-century Czech child actor, first Czech Oscar winner | JPL · 37736 |
| 37749 Umbertobonori | 1997 AG18 | Umberto Bonori (born 1950) is an Italian amateur astronomer, who has been at the T.L.C. Observatory since its 1991 foundation. | JPL · 37749 |
| 37782 Jacquespiccard | 1997 JP11 | Jacques Piccard, Belgian marine explorer | JPL · 37782 |
| 37786 Tokikonaruko | 1997 SS17 | Tokiko Naruko, Japanese social volunteer, daughter of Issei Yamamoto, founder of the Oriental Astronomical Association | JPL · 37786 |
| 37788 Suchan | 1997 SK34 | Pavel Suchan, Czech popularizer of astronomy at the Stefanik Observatory in Prague and spokesman for the Czech Astronomical Society † | MPC · 37788 |
37801–37900
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37840 Gramegna | 1998 DA3 | Maria Gramegna (1887–1915) was an Italian mathematician who studied linear differential equations. The techniques in his thesis, now lost, were highly original. He taught mathematics in Avezzano, and was one of 30000 people killed during the 1915 January 13 earthquake. | JPL · 37840 |
| 37853 Danielbarbier | 1998 DB35 | Daniel Barbier (1907–1965), a French observational astronomer, made significant contributions to the study of the background of the night sky. He turned his interest to the 6300 Å forbidden line of neutral oxygen by measuring the variations of its strength with the height in the ionosphere where it is emitted. | JPL · 37853 |
| 37859 Bobkoff | 1998 FE3 | Robert Koff (born 1943), an American amateur astronomer who has produced numerous high-quality lightcurves for minor planets and eclipsing binary stars, despite shooting through the urban skies of Denver, CO, and around trees and houses from his apartment balcony. His work is a testament to perseverance, dedication and the power of CCD imaging (Src). | JPL · 37859 |
37901–38000
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37939 Hašler | 1998 HA | Karel Hašler, Czech songwriter, actor, movie director and cabaretier † | MPC · 37939 |
References
- ^ "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.