Meanings of minor planet names: 400001–401000

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]

400001–400100

Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
400072 Radviliskis	2006 SQ₁₉₇	Radviliskis, a city in Siauliai County, Lithuania.	IAU · 400072

400101–400200

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
400162 SAIT	2006 VM₈₅	SAIT is the acronym of the Societa Astronomica Italiana (Italian Society of Astronomy). Founded in Palermo in 1871 under the name Italian Society of Spectroscopists, it was the first professional association specializing in “physical astronomy” and its Memorie (1872) is considered the world's first astrophysics journal.	IAU · 400162
400193 Castión	2006 XW₆₀	The city of Castiglione dei Pepoli (also known as "Castión") is a medieval fiefdom of the Pepoli noble family, in the Bolognese Apennines, Italy. The second discoverer has lived there for many years.	JPL · 400193

400201–400300

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
There are no named minor planets in this number range

400301–400400

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
400308 Antonkutter	2007 TX₁₈₄	Anton Kutter (1903–1985), a German engineer, film director, screenwriter and amateur astronomer.	JPL · 400308
400309 Ralfhofner	2007 TC₁₈₅	Ralf Hofner (1960–2014), a German amateur astronomer and founder of one of the biggest European Star Parties, located near Herzberg, Brandenburg.	JPL · 400309

400401–400500

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
There are no named minor planets in this number range

400501–400600

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
There are no named minor planets in this number range

400601–400700

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
400673 Vitapolunina	2009 OL₅	Viktoriya (Vita) Polunina (born 1967), Professor Doctor of medical sciences, is a specialist in reflex therapy in children, reconstructive and sports medicine, therapeuticphysical training, and the author of more than 70 scientific papers.	JPL · 400673

400701–400800

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
400796 Douglass	2010 FQ₇₇	Frederick Douglass (c. 1818–1895) was an American born into slavery who became a leading abolitionist and supporter of women's rights. Through his writings and speeches, he tirelessly fought slavery. He advised presidents, served in government, and pushed for equal protection of all under the law.	JPL · 400796

400801–400900

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
400811 Gillesfontaine	2010 GF₁₅₃	Gilles Fontaine (1948–2019) was a Canadian astrophysicist at the Universite de Montreal. He made fundamental and lasting contributions to our knowledge of white dwarf interiors, evolution and pulsations. He was an inspiring teacher and mentor, who has trained a new generation of leaders in the field.	JPL · 400811
400881 Vladimírdolinay	2010 PY₅₆	Vladimír Dolinay (1981–2020) was a Slovak teacher, civic and local activist, promoter of education and an advocate for building bridges between Slovakia and Slovak minorities abroad, especially in Romania, where he worked as a teacher. He was also an enthusiastic supporter of the project to build a planetarium in Bratislava.	IAU · 400881

400901–401000

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
There are no named minor planets in this number range

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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.

Preceded by 399,001–400,000	Meanings of minor planet names List of minor planets: 400,001–401,000	Succeeded by 401,001–402,000

[WGSBN-Bulletin-Archive-1] "WGSBN Bulletin Archive". Working Group Small Body Nomenclature. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021.

[MPC-Circulars-Archive-2] "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 27 July 2016.

[JPL-Discovery-3] "JPL – Solar System Dynamics: Discovery Circumstances". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 25 June 2019.

[DoMPN-4] Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3. Retrieved 27 July 2016.

[DoMPN-Addendum-5] 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-6] Herget, Paul (1968). The Names of the Minor Planets. Cincinnati, Ohio: Minor Planet Center, Cincinnati Observatory. OCLC 224288991.

[MPC-Preannouncement-7] "Guide to Minor Body Astrometry – When can I name my discovery?". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 20 July 2019.

[WGSBN-Naming-Guidelines-8] "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.

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