Those first four asteroids, a term meaning “star-like” as coined by William Herschel in 1802, were named Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta for figures in mythology. The next asteroid discovery was made in 1845, and soon the new technique of astrophotography was finding so many more that they were called “vermin of the sky” by one irate astronomer. Over 500 were known at the turn of the twentieth century. Larger telescopes and the dedicated search for asteroids late in that century resulted in a huge increase in discoveries.

In 1919 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) was founded by professional astronomers to “promote and safeguard the science of astronomy in all its aspects, including research, communication, education and development, through international cooperation.” One of its many duties is to standardize and approve the naming of objects in space, which is achieved through working groups. For asteroids that 15-member committee is the Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature….