Meanings of minor planet names: 124001–125000
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]
124001–124100[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 124075 Ketelsen | 2001 GT1 | Dean Ketelsen (born 1953), American optician and amateur astronomer | JPL · 124075 |
124101–124200[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 124104 Balcony | 2001 HJ46 | Francis Faux (born 1959), a French amateur astronomer known by his nickname "Balcony" | JPL · 124104 |
| 124114 Bergersen | 2001 HX65 | Thomas Jacob Bergersen (born 1980) is a prolific composer, having scored over one thousand movie soundtracks and film trailers. His music typically has an epic quality. | IAU · 124114 |
| 124143 Joséluiscorral | 2001 ME5 | José Luis Corral Berruezo (born 1967) worked from 1999 until 2014 as a chef at the Spanish Calar Alto Observatory. Through his culinary skills he contributed significantly to the well-being of his colleagues, visiting astronomers, and the discoverers of this asteroid. He and his food are dearly missed. | JPL · 124143 |
| 124192 Moletai | 2001 OM65 | The Lithuanian town of Molėtai, home of the Molėtai Astronomical Observatory | JPL · 124192 |
124201–124300[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| There are no named minor planets in this number range | |||
124301–124400[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 124368 Nickphoenix | 2001 QT142 | Nick Phoenix (born 1967) is a prolific composer, having scored over one thousand movie soundtracks and film trailers. His music typically has an epic quality. | IAU · 124368 |
| 124398 Iraklisimonia | 2001 QK197 | Irakli Simonia (born 1961) created the world's first PhD program in archaeoastronomy at Ilia State University where he has pioneered the study of astronomy in ancient Georgia. He is author of more than 80 scientific papers on the history of astronomy, cometary astrophysics, meteorites and Trans-Neptunian Objects. | IAU · 124398 |
124401–124500[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 124450 Shyamalan | 2001 QN264 | M. Night Shyamalan (born 1970), American filmmaker and actor | IAU · 124450 |
124501–124600[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| There are no named minor planets in this number range | |||
124601–124700[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| There are no named minor planets in this number range | |||
124701–124800[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| There are no named minor planets in this number range | |||
124801–124900[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 124844 Hirotamasao | 2001 TF15 | Masao Hirota (1930–1997), Japanese amateur astronomer and popularizer of astronomy | JPL · 124844 |
| 124845 Clinteastwood | 2001 TH15 | Clint Eastwood (born 1930), an American actor, film director, composer, and producer. | IAU · 124845 |
124901–125000[edit]
| Named minor planet | Provisional | This minor planet was named for... | Ref · Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| There are no named minor planets in this number range | |||
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.