Focus On: (72) Feronia
Name origin:
Asteroids, Central main belt objects, Focus On, Main belt objects, Scorpio discovery
Focus On: (68) Leto
Name origin: Greek goddess of motherhood. Leto was one of the Titanides, a bride of Zeus, and the mother of the twins Artemis and Apollo. Alongside her children, she was a protectress of the young. Her name and iconography suggest she also represented modesty and demure womanhood.
Asteroids, Focus On, Inner main belt objects, Main belt objects, Pisces discovery
Focus On: (60) Echo
Zeus ordered Ekho to protect him when he was dallying with her fellow nymphs. She did this by engaging his wife Hera in chat when about to discover her husband’s infidelity. As punishment, Hera cursed Ekho by only allowing her to repeat another’s words. Afterwards, Ekho fell in love with the mortal Narcissus, who spurned her. He wasted away pining for his own reflection, and she eventually did the same in mourning for him.
Aries discovery, Asteroids, Central main belt objects, Focus On, Main belt objects
Focus On: (59) Elpis
Name origin: Greek personification of the spirit of hope. Elpis was depicted as a young woman, usually carrying flowers or a cornucopia in her hands. In Hesiod’s Works and Days, Elpis was the last item in Pandora’s box (or jar).
Asteroids, Central main belt objects, Focus On, Main belt objects, Virgo discovery
Focus On: (58) Concordia
Name origin: Roman goddess/personification of peace and social harmony. Often associated with Pax (Peace) in assuring a stable society; probably a close match with the Greek concept of homonoia (likemindedness), which was also anthropomorphised.
Aries discovery, Asteroids, Focus On, Main belt objects, Outer main belt objects
Focus On: (57) Mnemosyne
Name origin: Greek Goddess of memory. In the Greek tradition, Mnemosyne is one of the Titans, the twelve divine children of the earth-goddess Gaia and the sky-god Uranus. She is also the mother of the nine Muses by her nephew Zeus.
Aries discovery, Asteroids, Central main belt objects, Focus On, Main belt objects
Focus On: (55) Pandora
Name origin: In ancient Greek myth, the first human woman. Zeus had Hephaistos and others create Pandora in order to punish Prometheus for stealing fire from the gods, as a bride for his brother Epimetheus.
Aquarius discovery, Asteroids, Central main belt objects, Focus On, Main belt objects
Focus On: (54) Alexandra
Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), a German polymath whose work pioneered or foreshadowed biogeography, modern geomagnetic and meteorological monitoring, ecology and holistic views of the universe. He also helped establish geography as an independent scientific discipline.
Asteroids, Central main belt objects, Focus On, Main belt objects, Virgo discovery
Focus On: (53) Kalypso
Greek nymph and minor goddess. Kalypso is most famed for detaining Odysseus on her island for seven years, before the gods intervened to get him released. She then aids him to leave.
Asteroids, Central main belt objects, Focus On, Main belt objects, Virgo discovery
Focus On: (41) Daphne
Name origin: Greek Naiad who was transformed into a laurel tree. Daphne was loved by the god Apollo, who pursued her until she grew exhausted and cried out to Gaia for help. The goddess transformed her into a laurel tree which Apollo then adopted as his sacred plant.