Focus On: (947) Monterosa
Probably named for the Monterosa, a ship used by the University of Hamburg on their outings on the North Sea.
Asteroids, Central main belt objects, Focus On, Main belt objects, Virgo discovery
Aries discovery, Centaurs, Focus On
Focus On: (944) Hidalgo
Name origin: Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753-1811), a Catholic priest, leader of the Mexican War of Independence and recognized as the Father of the Nation. Due to the oppression of poor Mexicans by the Spanish colonisers, on 16th September 1810 he gave the call to arms that triggered the Mexican War of Independence, called the Cry of Dolores.
Asteroids, Central main belt objects, Focus On, Main belt objects, Taurus discovery
Focus On: (941) Murray
Australian-British professor Gilbert Murray (1866-1957) helped Austria recover from World War I in 1920. He was an outstanding scholar of Ancient Greek literature, language and culture. Involved in the League of Nations from 1916, he was also president of the Ethical Union (now Humanists UK) in 1929 and 1930, and a founder of Oxfam.
Asteroids, Flora family, Focus On, Inner main belt objects, Main belt objects, Pisces discovery
Focus On: (831) Stateira
Stateira was a queen of ancient Persia who died about 400 BCE; wife of Artaxerxes II. She had a son, who became Artaxerxes III. She was a popular ruler, apparently because she talked to ordinary people, but did not get on well with her mother-in-law Parysatis, who eventually poisoned her.
Focus On, Leo discovery, Main belt objects, Outer main belt objects
Focus On: (775) Lumière
Brothers Auguste Marie (19 October 1862-10 April 1954) and Louis Jean Lumière (5 October 1864-6 June 1948), French pioneering manufacturers of photography equipment and early film production. Their screening on 22 March 1895 in Paris was likely the first presentation of projected film.
Asteroids, Focus On, Hilda group, Main belt objects, Outer main belt objects, Virgo discovery
Focus On: (748) Simeïsa
Name origin: Simeïs Observatory and the town of Simeïs, Crimea, Ukraine, where the object was first discovered. A total of 150 minor planets were found at the observatory, which operated as a research site until the mid-1950s and is now used for studying satellite orbits.
Asteroids, Central main belt objects, Focus On, Main belt objects, Virgo discovery
Focus On: (739) Mandeville
Mandeville is the capital and largest town in the parish of Manchester in Middlesex, Jamaica. It was laid out in 1816, and named after Viscount Mandeville, the eldest son of the Duke of Manchester, who was then governor of Jamaica.
Asteroids, Cybele group, Focus On, Libra discovery, Main belt objects, Outer main belt objects
Focus On: (713) Luscinia
Name origin: The genus Luscinia, which contains the common nightingale and three other living species. These are migratory birds originating from Europe and Asia, occurring at various latitudes but more prevalent in temperate regions. The common nightingale is renowned for its powerful and beautiful song.
Aquarius discovery, Asteroids, Central main belt objects, Focus On, Main belt objects
Focus On: (666) Desdemona
Name origin: Desdemona, character in Shakespeare’s Othello. The name may have been inspired by the asteroid’s provisional designation, containing the letters “DM”. Desdemona is the faithful wife of Othello whose reputation is muddied by the villain Iago.
Aquarius discovery, Asteroids, Eos family, Focus On, Main belt objects, Outer main belt objects
Focus On: (639) Latona
Latona is the Roman name for Leto, the mother of Apollo and Artemis by Zeus, who was forced to flee Hera’s wrath to give birth in safety. There is no evidence of an independent mythology.