The International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center assigns a temporary name after a discovery, while they check to see if it is actually a new discovery or if it’s already been found. Once they determine it’s new, it’s assigned a permanent number like an ISBN for textbooks. Then there are committees that decide what the actual name will be.
The International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center assigns a temporary name after a discovery, while they check to see if it is actually a new discovery or if it’s already been found. Once they determine it’s new, it’s assigned a permanent number like an ISBN for textbooks. Then there are committees that decide what the actual name will be.