THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF MINOR PLANET DISCOVERY<\/p>\n
Frederick Pilcher
\n Illinois College
\n Jacksonville, IL 62650 USA<\/p>\n
This file of minor planet discovery data has been prepared in machine
\nreadable form for NSSDC and in hardcopy for ASTEROIDS II, (1988), ed. R. P.
\nBinzel, T. Gehrels, and M. S. Mathews (Tucson: Universiy of Arizona Press).
\nThe machine readable list contains complete data for all numbered minor planets.
\nThe hard copy contains complete data only for planets 2125 and forward, and
\nnotes pertaining to these planets. Those for the preceding planets were listed
\nby the writer in ASTEROIDS, (1979), ed. T. Gehrels (Tucson: University of
\nArizona Press), pp 1130-1154. A few mistakes in the first book have since been
\nfound and corrected in the machine readable version, and the reader will note
\nsmall changes in the numbering of some of the NOTES. Diacritical marks for the
\nnames of planets, increasingly omitted from machine readable lists, have been
\nadded by hand to the hardcopy.<\/p>\n
The first column, 4 characters, contains the permanent number; the second,
\nl6 characters, the official name; the third, for planets 330 and forward, the
\nprovisional designation attached to the discovery apparition; the fourth, the
\nyear, month, and day of discovery according to criteria explained below; the
\nfifth, the name of the discoverer, discoverers, or institution of discovery;
\nthe sixth, the discovery place. The seventh column is used when needed for
\nnotes referencing two or more discoverers with names of combined length too
\ngreat to fit in the discoverer column, to give a more complete description of
\nprograms involving several persons, and to reference cases in which two
\nnumbered planets were subsequently discovered to be identical and the number
\nand name of one of these was reassigned to a newly-discovered planet. Notes
\nhave also been used to reference conflicting discovery claims and list
\nimportant independent discoveries which are no longer regarded as official.<\/p>\n
The discovery date is in local mean time prior to 1 January 1925, and
\nin UT thereafter, and refers to the time of mid-exposure for planets discovered
\nby photographic means. In many cases the permanent number was assigned only
\nwhen several unnumbered planets observed in different years were found to be
\nidentical, often many years after the discovery photographs were made. In
\nthese cases the discovery date is the first of that series of photographic
\nobservations from which the preliminary orbit was computed, and the provi-
\nsional designation is that associated with this particular set of observations.
\nOften earlier observations exist, but they are considered prediscoveries.
\nIn some cases the discovery and subsequent observations permitted images to be
\nfound on photographs obtained at the same observatory earlier in the discovery
\napparition; these earlier observations are considered prediscoveries.<\/p>\n
The following literature has been examined comprehensively to determine
\nthe discovery data:<\/p>\n
STRACKE, G., Identifizierungsnachweis der Kleinen Planeten (Berlin, 1938).
\n HERGET, P., Names of Minor Planets (University of Cincinnati Observatory,
\n 1957, 1967).
\n Astronomische Nachrichten.
\n Astronomische Nachrichten Indices.
\n Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
\n Rechen-Institut Circulars.
\n Beobachtungs Zircular.
\n Minor Planet Circulars.
\n Lick Research Surveys on Minor Planets.
\n Turku Informo.<\/p>\n
Acknowledgments. The authors wish to thank the following people for valuable
\ncontributions to this work. B. Marsden has arduously searched the literature,
\nresolved various errors and discrepancies, and has passed judgment on con-
\nflicting discovery claims. J. Meeus and M. Combes have prepared an earlier
\nlist of discovery data from which the present list was adapted and expanded,
\nand J. Meeus has provided a complete list of diacritical marks of names of
\nminor planets. K. Kelly and J. LoGuirato have proofread the material, and
\nprovided coninuing advice and counsel.<\/p>\n
