Know Asteroid Naming System

As well as naming a star or planet, naming asteroids also have a certain procedure. There asteroid 4 Vesta, the asteroid 99942 Apophis there was also an asteroid called 2012 Da14.

Sudibyo Ma'rufin amateur astronomers, said, "The name for outer space objects can not be done haphazardly. Was specialized agencies authorized to do that."

The agency in question is the International Astronomical Union (IAU). IAU is a place where the gathering of researchers and astronomers the world. Until now, the IAU has 10,871 individual members from 93 countries. Of the 93 countries, 73 of them are members.

Object name space is not necessarily directly given. Shortly after successfully observed and detected, it was coded as a temporary name (provisional designation).

Coding aims to mempemudah documentation process and grouping objects such space. This system applies to all of the observed space objects, including asteroids.

Provision of code has a specific meaning. For example, the name of the asteroid 2012 DA14, passing close to Earth on Saturday morning and had a sense.

"2012" indicates the year teramatinya asteroid. The letter "D" means the asteroid is detected between the steps 16 to 29 February, "explained Ma'rufin.
"The second letter indicates the successful sequence of objects detected in the middle of it. Newsletter number" 14 "means code" DA "on the asteroid is ranked 14th," he added.

In the 2012 case of DA14, the asteroid is the first asteroid detected in February 2012 between the dates of February 16-29. Asteroid 2012 DA14 was first detected by researchers at the Observatorio Astronomica de la Sagra, Spain on February 16, 2012.

Asteroid that has the name "call" as Apophis and mean orbit Vesta known.

For example, when the asteroid Apophis was first discovered named 2004 MN4. That is, the asteroid was discovered in 2004. Asteroid then obtained a permanent number 99 942 after its orbit is known. Established after that, then the name "call" defined, namely Apophis.