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SKY & TELESCOPE'S NEWS BULLETIN - OCTOBER 12, 2001
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SEPTEMBER 11TH ASTEROID MEMORIALS

Following the terrorist attacks on the United States last month, the
committee of the International Astronomical Union responsible for
naming asteroids has announced the following, in the October 2nd Minor
Planet Circular:

"The terrible events three weeks ago today have prompted several
correspondents to propose that minor planets be named to honor the
victims. Deeply sympathetic to this desire, but as an independent
action, the IAU Committee for Small-Body Nomenclature has unanimously
agreed to name three minor planets for concepts that represent some of
the most basic and universal human values. The resulting names and
citations, on MPC 43684, for the consecutively numbered minor planets
(8990), (8991), and (8992), which discovered at observatories on three
continents, are intended as a positive statement abhorring the tragedy
that occurred on a fourth.

"(8990) Compassion = 1980 DN
Discovered 1980 Feb. 19 at the Klet Observatory.
Named by the Committee for Small-Body Nomenclature to honor the
compassion of people around the world for the friends and families of
the of disasters, exemplified by the terrorist attacks on New York and
Washington on 2001 Sept. 11, with the hope that they will overcome
their .

"(8991) Solidarity = 1980 PV1
Discovered 1980 Aug. 6 at the European Southern Observatory.
Named by the Committee for Small-Body Nomenclature to honor the
solidarity of people around the world with both victims and survivors
of terrorist attacks like those on New York and Washington on 2001
Sept. 11, in the goal of terrorism from the world.

"(8992) Magnanimity = 1980 TE7
Discovered 1980 Oct. 14 at the Purple Mountain Observatory.
Named by the Committee for Small-Body Nomenclature to honor the
magnanimity of people around the world in dealing with terrorist
attacks like those on New York and Washington on 2001 Sept. 11, in the
hope that terrorism will be countered with justice for all, not with
revenge."


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