Phocaea or Phokaia (modern-day Foça in Turkey) was a city on the western coast of Anatolia. Greek colonists from Phocaea founded the city of Massalia (Marseille), from where the asteroid was discovered.
Name origin: Latin name for Paris, the capital city of France, where the asteroid was discovered (the full name being Lutetia Parisiorum, “Lutetia of the Parisii”).
Name origin: Latin name for the French city of Marseille, from which the independent discover Jean Chacornac sighted it the night following de Gasparis’ discovery.
Name origin: Roman goddess of fortune and fate, and the personification of luck.
Name origin: Greek muse of tragedy. Literal translation: ‘to sing’ or ‘the one that is melodious’; initially the muse of chorus.
Name origin: Greek sea goddess and the leader of the fifty Nereides. Like many other sea gods, Thetis possessed the gift of prophecy and power to change her shape at will.
Name origin: Roman goddess of victory; also to honour Queen Victoria.
Name origin: Greek nymph, one of the Seirenes (Sirens) – three monstrous sea-nymphs who lured sailors to their death with a bewitching song.
Name origin: Greek goddess of wisdom and counsel, mother of Athene by Zeus.
Name origin: Sabine and Roman goddess of flowers and of the season of spring – a symbol for nature and flowers (especially the may-flower).
