Dictionary of minor planet names /

The field of minor planets was a rather subordinate area of research in astronomy until the relatively recent introduction of electronic optics and computer technology. Today it has burst forth into a flood of new discoveries unanticipated in the past. Early discoverers of these space objects within the solar system reserved the right to name them with little thought of uniformity. Over the years, various individuals and organizations have attempted to number and code the findings into organized and creditable databases that could handle the numerous quirks and synonyms of names, and duplications and erroneous sightings that have crept into the compilation. In 1988 the International Astronomical Union set up a commission to be responsible for the reporting, verifying, numbering, and naming of all reported minor planets. With their number now over 300,000, the task has been overwhelming.A growing catalog of over 17,000 minor planet names that have been accepted is maintained by the Minor Planet Center. German astronomer and historian Schmadel (Heidelberg Univ.) has published a sixth edition (5th ed., rev. and enlarged, CH, Dec'03, 41-1916) of this annotated compilation of the named minor planets, with more than 7,000 entries added since the last edition. The main body of entries is listed by rough order of discovery. The discoverer's name, date of the discovery, and information on the namer and date are given, along with variations of other codes of identification. Following the planet's name is a short descriptive history of whom the planet was named for. Numerous appendixes and statistics on the compilation are presented. Although this book is intended for special users, its organization and annotations can give budding scientists a glimpse into the history of astronomy. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students through professionals/practitioners. R. J. Havlik emeritus, University of Notre Dame