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Astronomical naming conventions
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== Minor planets == {{See also|Minor planet designation|Provisional designation in astronomy#Minor planets|Name conflicts with minor planets}} Initially, the names given to [[minor planet]]s followed the same pattern as the other planets: names from Greek or Roman myths, with a preference for female names. With the discovery in 1898 of the first body found to cross the orbit of Mars, a different choice was deemed appropriate, and [[433 Eros]] was chosen. This started a pattern of female names for [[asteroid belt|main-belt]] bodies and male names for those with unusual orbits. As more and more discoveries were made over the years, this system was eventually recognized as being inadequate and a new one was devised. Currently, the responsibility for naming minor planets lies with the ''Working Group Small Bodies Nomenclature'' (WGSBN, originally the ''Committee Small Bodies Nomenclature'', CSBN, and before that the ''Minor Planet Names Committee'', MPNC), which is composed of 15 members, 11 of whom are voting members, while the other four are representatives for the [[Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature]], the [[Minor Planet Center]], as well as the [[International Astronomical Union|IAU]] President and General Secretary.<ref name="WGSBN-Naming-Guidelines">{{cite web |title = Minor Planet Naming Guidelines (Rules and Guidelines for naming non-cometary small Solar-System bodies) – v1.0 |work = Working Group Small Body Nomenclature |type = PDF |date = 20 December 2021 |url = https://www.wgsbn-iau.org/documentation/NamesAndCitations.pdf }}</ref><ref name="WGSBN-home">{{cite web |title = IAU: WG Small Body Nomenclature (WGSBN) |work = Working Group Small Body Nomenclature |url = https://www.wgsbn-iau.org |accessdate = 9 February 2022 }}</ref><ref name="IAU">{{cite web | url = http://www.iau.org/public/themes/naming/#minorplanets | title = Naming Astronomical Objects: Minor Planets | publisher = International Astronomical Union | access-date= 2014-11-21 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iau.org/science/scientific_bodies/working_groups/97/|title=Division F WG Small Bodies Nomenclature (SBN) {{!}} Commissions {{!}} IAU|website=www.iau.org|access-date=2019-10-15}}</ref> Minor planets observed over at least two nights and which cannot be identified with an existing celestial object,<ref name="MPC">{{cite web | url = http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/info/HowNamed.html | title = How Are Minor Planets Named? | publisher = Minor Planet Center | access-date= 2014-11-21 }}</ref> are initially assigned [[Minor planet provisional designation|provisional designations]] (containing the year and the sequential order of discovery within that year) by the Minor Planet Center. When enough observations of the same object are obtained to calculate a reliable orbit, a sequential number is assigned by the Minor Planet Center to the [[minor-planet designation]].<ref name="IAU" /> After the designation is assigned, the discoverer is given an opportunity to propose a name, which, if accepted by the IAU, replaces the provisional designation. Thus for instance, {{mpl|(28978) 2001 KX|76}} was given the name Ixion and is now called [[28978 Ixion]]. The name becomes official after its publication in the ''WGSBN Bulletin'' with a brief citation explaining its significance.<ref name="WGSBN-home" /> This may be a few years after the initial sighting, or in the case of [["lost" asteroids]], it may take several decades before they are spotted again and finally assigned a designation. If a minor planet remains unnamed ten years after it has been given a designation, the right to name it is given also to identifiers of the various apparitions of the object, to discoverers at apparitions other than the official one, to those whose observations contributed extensively to the orbit determination, or to representatives of the observatory at which the official discovery was made. The WGSBN has the right to act on its own in naming a minor planet, which often happens when the number assigned to the body is an integral number of thousands.<ref name="WGSBN-Naming-Guidelines" /><ref name="IAU" /> In recent years, automated search efforts such as [[LINEAR]] or [[LONEOS]] have discovered so many thousands of new asteroids that the WGSBN has officially limited naming to a maximum of two names per discoverer every two months. Thus, the overwhelming majority of asteroids currently discovered are not assigned formal names. Under IAU rules, names must be pronounceable, preferably one word (such as [[5535 Annefrank]]), although exceptions are possible (such as [[9007 James Bond]]), and since 1982, names are limited to a maximum of 16 characters, including spaces and hyphens. (This rule was violated once for the comet-asteroid [[4015 Wilson–Harrington]], whose name has 17 characters; this is because it had already been named as a comet before being rediscovered as an asteroid.)<ref>{{citation |title= Dictionary of Minor Planet Names |author= Lutz D. Schmadel |edition= 6th |publisher= Springer |date= 2012 |isbn= 9783642297182 |pages= 8–9 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=aeAg1X7afOoC&q=astronomical+names+hyphens&pg=PA8 }}</ref> Letters with [[diacritic]]s are accepted, although in English the diacritical marks are usually omitted in everyday usage. [[4090 Říšehvězd]] is an asteroid with the most diacritics (four). Military and political leaders are unsuitable unless they have been dead for at least 100 years. Names of pet animals are discouraged, but there are some from the past. Names of people, companies or products known only for success in business are not accepted, nor are citations that resemble advertising.<ref name="WGSBN-Naming-Guidelines" /><ref name="IAU" /> Whimsical names can be used for relatively ordinary asteroids (such as [[26858 Misterrogers]] or [[274301 Wikipedia]]), but those belonging to certain dynamical groups are expected to follow more strictly defined naming schemes.<ref name="WGSBN-Naming-Guidelines" /><ref name="IAU" /> * [[Near-Earth object]]s (such as [[1862 Apollo]]) receive mythological names, except those associated with creation or the underworld, while distant [[Amor asteroid]] (with [[perihelion]] larger than 1.15 [[Astronomical unit|au]]) may receive non-mythical names. * [[Jupiter trojan]]s (objects in a 1:1 [[orbital resonance]] with Jupiter) are named for characters of the legendary [[Trojan War]]. Asteroids at [[Lagrangian point]] {{L4}} are named after Greek characters (such as [[588 Achilles]]), whilst asteroids at {{L5}} are named after Trojans (such as [[884 Priamus]]). Small Jupiter trojans with [[Absolute magnitude#Solar System bodies (H)|absolute magnitude]]s fainter than 12 (in the ''V'' band) can be named for [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] athletes.<ref name="WGSBN-Naming-Guidelines" /><ref name="MPEC-2020-T164">{{cite web |title = MPEC 2020-T164 : (3548) Eurybates I = Queta |url = https://minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K20/K20TG4.html |work = Minor Planet Electronic Circular |publisher = [[Minor Planet Center]] |date = 15 October 2020 |access-date = 16 May 2021}}</ref> * [[Centaur (small Solar System body)|Centaurs]] (such as [[2060 Chiron]]) crossing or approaching the orbit of a [[Gas giant|giant planet]], but not in a stabilizing resonance are named for the [[Centaur|creature]]s, part horse and part man, from Greek mythology. * [[Neptune trojan]]s (objects in a 1:1 orbital resonance with Neptune, such as [[385571 Otrera]]) are named for [[Amazons]], with no differentiation between objects in {{L4}} and {{L5}}.<ref name="WGSBN-Naming-Guidelines" /><ref name="Amazons">{{cite web|url=https://www.iau.org/static/science/scientific_bodies/working_groups/97/wg-sbn-triennial-report-2015-2018.pdf|title=DIVISION F / Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature. THE TRIENNIAL REPORT (2015 Sept 1 - 2018 Feb 15)|date=10 April 2018|access-date=16 May 2021|publisher=International Astronomical Union|author1=Ticha, J.|display-authors=etal}}</ref> * [[Plutino]]s (such as [[90482 Orcus]]) are named after mythological figures associated with the [[underworld]]. * Other [[trans-Neptunian object]]s (such as [[50000 Quaoar]]), including [[classical Kuiper belt object]]s, are given mythological or mythic names (not necessarily from Greek or Roman mythology), particularly those associated with creation.
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