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NASA names asteroid "Hossi" after Sabine Hossenfelder
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SUMMARY
NASA has named the asteroid "Hossi" after physicist Sabine Hossenfelder, although the naming process involves multiple organizations. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) oversees the naming through its Working Group Small Bodies Nomenclature (WGSBN), which approves names suggested by the discoverer or assigns names after a period. The Minor Planet Center initially collects data on the asteroid's orbit, and the discoverer has the right to propose names for the first ten years post-discovery. In this case, the asteroid has been known for 30 years, and it is likely that the WGSBN assigned the name.
PREREQUISITES- Understanding of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) naming conventions
- Familiarity with the role of the Minor Planet Center in asteroid discovery
- Knowledge of the Working Group Small Bodies Nomenclature (WGSBN)
- Awareness of the asteroid discovery timeline and naming rights
- Research the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and its naming processes
- Learn about the Minor Planet Center's role in asteroid data collection
- Explore the documentation provided by the WGSBN on naming conventions
- Investigate the history and significance of asteroid naming rights
Astronomers, astrophysicists, and space enthusiasts interested in the processes behind asteroid naming and the organizations involved in astronomical nomenclature.
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Vanadium 50
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I didn't think NASA named asteroids. I thought it was the Minor Planet Center/
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Patato potahto.Vanadium 50 said:
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glappkaeft
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It a bit more complicated than that. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has the "Working Group Small Bodies Nomenclature" (WGSBN) but they sort of don't really name asteroids, they just approve names. The process starts when the Minor Planet Center has good enough data on the orbit.Vanadium 50 said:
For the first 10 years after discovery the discoverer has a right to suggest names and after that it becomes a little more complicated (a previous suggested name can be approved or MGSNB may assign on). In this case the asteroid has been known for 30 years and I cannot find any mention of who suggested the name but I suspect it is the MGSBN in this case.
https://www.wgsbn-iau.org/documentation/NamesAndCitations.pdf