Asteroids named after people called John
👶 John as a baby name🐶 John as a dog name
(3882) Johncox
Named in memory of John Paul Cox (1926–1984), whose professional life was devoted to an investigation of the pulsational mechanisms in variable stars. First at Cornell University and later at the University of Colorado, from where he collaborated with workers at the Los Alamos National Laboratories, he made several outstanding contributions in his field. He produced the first exact, linear, non-adiabatic treatment of pulsation. Along with Zhevakin, Cox realized the importance of the second helium ionization zone as the source of the driving power for Cepheids. He also made significant contributions to our understanding of the β Cephei and RR Lyrae stars and authored several review papers and two books that are models of clarity in a very complex subject and will be cited for years to come. Name proposed by H. R. Johnson and F. K. Edmondson.Discovered 7 September 1962 by Indiana University, Brooklyn
(3893) DeLaeter
Named in honor of John DeLaeter, retired professor at Curtin University, Western Australia, in recognition of his pioneering application of mass spectrometry to a range of astrophysical, chemical, geological and nuclear problems over many decades. His outstanding scientific achievements and communication skills have been recognized in awards from ANZAAS, the Royal Society and the Australian Geological Society. He is an officer of the Order of Australia. His support of the Perth Observatory during funding crises was instrumental in maintaining the operation of this isolated institution. Name suggested and citation provided by J. Biggs and P. Birch.Discovered 20 March 1980 by M. P. Candy, Bickley
(4089) Galbraith
Harvard University economist and polemicist John Kenneth Galbraith (1908-2006), renowned for his use of irony and for stressing the human element in the study of economics, rejected “the conventional wisdom” (a term introduced in his 1958 best-seller The Affluent Society) and the idea that economics is a “science”.Discovered 2 May 1986 by Palomar, Palomar
(4147) Lennon
Named in memory of John Lennon (1940–1980), musician and ex-Beatle. With Paul McCartney, he wrote the early songs that helped make The Beatles the most popular group of their generation. Perhaps the most famous Beatles album is Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which represents the Lennon-McCartney partnership at its most fertile and innovative. From his solo recording career, the song that will probably best be remembered is “Imagine”. Passionately anti-war, John, and his wife Yoko, also made many public demonstrations of their desire for a peaceful world.Discovered 12 January 1983 by B. A. Skiff, Anderson Mesa
(4525) Johnbauer
John Bauer (1932-2003), who taught astronomy and physics at San Diego City College for 37 years, dedicated his life, not to making discoveries himself, but to inspiring hundreds of students to pursue astronomical careers, helping them succeed and supporting their scientific goals. The name was suggested by N. Butler.Discovered 15 May 1982 by Helin, E. F., Shoemaker, E. M., Wilder, P. D., Palomar
(4656) Huchra
John Peter Huchra (1948-2010), Doyle professor of cosmology at Harvard and some time associate director for optical and infrared astronomy at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, was renowned for his work on the distribution of matter in the universe, including in particular the “Great Wall” of galaxies.Discovered 7 November 1978 by Helin, E. F., Bus, S. J., Palomar
(4987) Flamsteed
John Flamsteed (1646-1719), the first Astronomer Royal, is renowned for his systematic telescopic positional observations of the sun, moon, planets and stars, culminating in Historia Coelestis Britannica (1725), containing his catalogue of 3000 stars, and Atlas Coelestis (1729), celestial charts completed by his widow.Discovered 20 March 1980 by Perth Observatory, Bickley
(5207) Hearnshaw
John Bernard Hearnshaw (b. 1946), professor at Canterbury University, has guided the Mt. John Observatory through major developments over 30 years. He is the author of three books on the history of spectroscopy and photometry.Discovered 15 April 1988 by Gilmore, A. C., Kilmartin, P. M., Lake Tekapo
(5216) Cannizzo
John Kendall Cannizzo (1957-2018) was an American astrophysicist who worked at the NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. He also spent time at the Harvard College Observatory, where he met his wife Catherine Asaro, and did research as a Humboldt Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics.Discovered 16 April 1941 by L. Oterma, Turku
(5362) Johnyoung
John W. Young (1930-2018) was a United States naval aviator and test pilot and NASA astronaut. He flew on Gemini 3, Gemini 10, Apollo 10, Apollo 16 (becoming the ninth person to walk on the Moon), and commanded two Space Shuttle missions (STS-1 and STS-9).Discovered 2 February 1978 by J. Gibson, Palomar
(5517) Johnerogers
Named in honor of John E. Rogers, Range Safety Officer at Point Mugu, California, and an amateur astronomer long known for his computer software and for his computation of orbits. More recently he has developed an astrometric system using a CCD camera and related software that he expertly uses at his home in Camarillo. The discoverer acknowledges his unstinting assistance in using this equipment to obtain crucial observations of newly-discovered near-Earth objects, and from time to time he has also joined the discoverer's team at Palomar to search for them. Name proposed by the discoverer, endorsed by K. Lawrence, B. G. Marsden and G. V. Williams.Discovered 4 June 1989 by E. F. Helin, Palomar
(5558) Johnnapier
John Napier of Merchiston (1550-1617) was a Scottish mathematician and inventor, who simplified complex calculations through his invention of logarithms, the calculating tool called Napier's bones, and development of the decimal point. Kepler acknowledged the importance of Napier's logarithms in his calculations.Discovered 24 November 1989 by R. H. McNaught, Siding Spring
(5653) Camarillo
At his private observatory in Camarillo, John Rogers secured follow-up observations of this minor planet. On California's El Camino Real, the town was named by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1901 in tribute to Adolfo Camarillo (1864-1958), a prominent local rancher. The first discoverer is a former town resident.Discovered 21 November 1992 by Helin, E. F., Lawrence, K. J., Palomar
(5722) Johnscherrer
John Randell Scherrer (b. 1960) helped further the exploration of the planets through his role as project manager of the imaging and spectroscopic remote-sensing suite on NASA's New Horizons Pluto Kuiper Belt mission. He also served as the deputy payload manager for New Horizons.Discovered 2 May 1986 by INAS, Palomar
(5772) Johnlambert
John V. Lambert (b. 1945) has developed techniques for determining the sizes and shapes of minor planets from occultation and lightcurve observations. He is now involved in the U.S. Air Force Space Command and the Phillips Laboratory programs for the study of near-Earth objects.Discovered 15 June 1988 by E. F. Helin, Palomar
(5893) Coltrane
John Coltrane (1926-1967), originally an alto saxophonist but better known later as a brilliant tenor saxophonist, was an important figure in the development of cool jazz, frequently working with Miles Davis.Discovered 15 March 1982 by Z. Vavrova, Klet
(5964) Johnjunkins
American academic John L. Junkins (b. 1943) is a distinguished professor of aerospace engineering and holder of the Royce E. Wisenbaker Chair of Innovation in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University. His primary research specializes in spacecraft guidance, navigation, and control, especially with applications to astrodynamics.Discovered 23 August 1990 by H. E. Holt, Palomar
(6092) Johnmason
John W. Mason (b. 1954) has contributed to research on comets and meteors and to the popularization of astronomy. He was president of the British Astronomical Association during 1993-1995.Discovered 27 June 1990 by E. F. Helin, Palomar
(6137) Johnfletcher
British amateur astronomer John Fletcher (b. 1947) lives in Tuffley, near Gloucester, where he regularly makes observations of minor planets. As a broadcaster and lecturer he is also very active in educational work. The name was suggested by P. Moore.Discovered 25 January 1991 by Natori, A., Urata, T., Yakiimo
(6561) Gruppetta
John M. Gruppetta (b. 1957), a long-time friend of the discoverer, is a design engineer with an interest in astronomy.Discovered 10 October 1991 by K. J. Lawrence, Palomar
(6585) O'Keefe
Named in honor of John Aloysius O'Keefe (b. 1916), American astronomer and a leading figure in establishing the Theoretical Division of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. He is renowned for his discovery of the “pear shape” of the gravitational field of the Earth from observations of the first artificial satellites. He is one of the leading students of tektites and has stimulated much interest and research on these natural glasses and played a key role in helping to found the astrogeology program of the U.S. Geological Survey.Discovered 26 September 1984 by Shoemaker, C. S., Shoemaker, E. M., Palomar
(6711) Holliman
Named in memory of John Holliman (1948–1998), a national correspondent for CNN, the U.S. Cable News Network. Holliman reported extensively on the role of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in space exploration. Specifically, he served as the network's lead reporter for the Pathfinder mission to Mars, anchoring CNN's continuous coverage of the landing and mission as the spacecraft beamed live video of the planet's surface. Holliman possessed a special ability to make the complex and complicated process of space exploration understandable and accessible to his viewers.Discovered 30 April 1989 by E. F. Helin, Palomar
(6830) Johnbackus
John Backus (1924-2007) was a U.S. computer scientist, best known for inventing the first high-level programming language FORTRAN in 1954. The language was widely adopted by scientists and engineers for numerical calculations and is still very widely used. The name was suggested by E. Goffin.Discovered 5 May 1991 by Otomo, S., Muramatsu, O., Kiyosato
(6906) Johnmills
John Mills (1806-1899), twine manufacturer and amateur astronomer, left funds for the creation of Britain's first public observatory. The Mills Observatory in his home town of Dundee was eventually built in 1935.Discovered 19 November 1990 by R. H. McNaught, Siding Spring
(7063) Johnmichell
John Michell (1724-1793) was an English member of the Royal Society who studied geology, magnetism and gravity. He applied statistics to astronomy and showed that gravity might explain double stars and star clusters. He was also the first to suggest there might be black holes.Discovered 18 October 1991 by Ueda, S., Kaneda, H., Kushiro
(7110) Johnpearse
John Marshall Pearse (b. 1930) was a mechanical technician at the Perth Observatory from 1981 to 2006. Before working at the observatory he was employed by the Western Australian state shipping service, and he later built fishing boats for a company he co-owned.Discovered 7 December 1983 by Perth Observatory, Bickley
(7173) Sepkoski
Named in memory of paleontologist J. John Sepkoski Jr. (1948-1999). His far-reaching work made a major contribution to quantifying the nature of life's diversity through time. The compilation of a huge database, begun while he was at the University of Rochester and continued at the University of Chicago, enabled researchers to combine mathematical modeling and paleoecology with massive data arrays. Together with his colleague David Raup, Sepkoski developed the theory that catastrophic extinction events have a 26-million-year periodicity.Discovered 15 August 1988 by Shoemaker, C. S., Shoemaker, E. M., Palomar
(7290) Johnrather
Named in honor of John D. Rather (b. 1938), astrophysicist, on the completion of his 60th revolution around the sun on 1998 Jan. 25. Long associated with special projects at NASA and in industry, he served in the early 1990s as chair of the Near-Earth Object Interception Committee, which examined possible mitigation processes against the threat of minor planets and comets on collision courses with the earth. As a direct consequence of his urging the use of an aggressive treatment that allowed his wife to triumph over cancer, he has in recent years transferred his interest in mitigation to a new career in leading-edge research to fight this scourge.Discovered 11 May 1991 by E. F. Helin, Palomar
(7465) Munkanber
Named in honor of John Munger, Veikko Kanto and Richard Berry, the authors of The CCD Cookbook. By providing detailed instructions and software, they have made it possible for the amateur astronomer to construct and operate an efficient, low-cost CCD camera. The final imaging and astrometry of this minor planet was carried out with such a camera made by the discoverer.Discovered 31 October 1989 by B. G. W. Manning, Stakenbridge
(7542) Johnpond
John Pond (1767-1836), sixth Astronomer Royal, is famous for the introduction of then-modern transit instruments at Greenwich Observatory and for publishing a high-precision star catalogue. Pond received the Copley Medal of the Royal Society. The name was suggested by L. D. Schmadel.Discovered 7 April 1953 by K. Reinmuth, Heidelberg
(7554) Johnspencer
Named in honor of John R. Spencer (b. 1957), an astronomer at Lowell Observatory, for his pioneering interdisciplinary work in planetary science. Spencer's research includes detailed and insightful probing into the nature and character of the Galilean satellites. In particular, he has led the field in using high-resolution, ground-based imaging of Io to provide an excellent time history of volcanism, important for bridging the gaps between spacecraft encounters. In his studies, Spencer applies a keen intuitive sense of the natural world and leaves us with a better appreciation and understanding of our solar system. Citation provided by M. W. Buie at the request of the discoverer.Discovered 5 April 1981 by E. Bowell, Anderson Mesa
(7894) Rogers
John H. Rogers (b. 1952), director of the British Astronomical Association's Jupiter section since 1988, received the Association's Goodacre Medal in 2003. He is the author of The Giant Planet Jupiter (Cambridge University Press, 1995). By profession he is a molecular neurobiologist at the University of Cambridge.Discovered 6 December 1994 by T. Kobayashi, Oizumi
(7993) Johnbridges
John Bridges (b. 1966), based at the University of Leicester, is an expert on the mineralogy and petrology of martian meteorites, chondritic meteorites and cometary material returned by the Stardust mission. He has been a participating scientist in Mars Science Laboratory rover mission.Discovered 16 October 1982 by A. Mrkos, Klet
(8026) Johnmckay
NASA research pilot John McKay (1922–1975) was the fifth pilot to fly the X-15 and made a total of 29 flights. Before joining the X-15 program, he made 46 flights in the X-1 and D-558-II Skyrocket. In 2005 McKay received posthumous NASA astronaut wings for a flight that reached an altitude of 89900 meters.Discovered 8 May 1991 by E. F. Helin, Palomar
(8073) Johnharmon
John K. Harmon (b. 1948), scientist at the Arecibo Observatory, has for two decades made outstanding contributions to planetary radar astronomy of Mars, Mercury, the Galilean satellites and comets.Discovered 24 January 1982 by E. Bowell, Anderson Mesa
(8218) Hosty
John Graham Hosty (1949-2001) was the visual discoverer of the nova HS Sge from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. in 1977. This find, made with a simple 10 × 50 monocular, encouraged others to join the U.K. Nova Patrol to look for such objects. The name was suggested by G. M. Hurst and B. G. Marsden.Discovered 8 May 1996 by R. H. McNaught, Siding Spring
(8237) Constable
Named for the English painter John Constable (1776-1837), known for his landscapes painted directly from nature. A forerunner of the Impressionists of the late nineteenth century, he is notable for his use of color. For some time he made portraits, but later he went back to landscape painting.Discovered 17 October 1960 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T., Palomar
(8267) Kiss
John Kiss (b. 1960) co-led at NASA an international life science and plant biology project on the ISS. This lead to discoveries on multiple light sensory systems in plants, which set the stage for upcoming missions addressing the use of plants in bio-regenerative life support systems for future manned missions.Discovered 4 October 1986 by A. Mrkos, Klet
(8270) Winslow
Named in honor of John Seymour Winslow, a friend of the discoverer's husband, Ron, since grade school. John graduated from Caltech with a degree in physics and later returned for a master's degree in electrical engineering. He developed the equipment used to master the MCA video disc, and later became a partner in Optical Disc Corporation, a firm that provides mastering equipment for compact discs. This minor planet was presented on the occasion of the 45th reunion of John and Ron's Caltech Class of '53.Discovered 2 May 1989 by E. F. Helin, Palomar
(8455) Johnrayner
John T. Rayner (b. 1954) is an astronomer at the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy and Deputy Director of the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. He led the effort to design and build SpeX, an instrument that has played a key role in the spectroscopic studies of minor planets for over a decade.Discovered 6 March 1981 by S. J. Bus, Siding Spring
(8623) Johnnygalecki
American actor John Mark “Johnny” Galecki (b. 1975) portrays the fictional Caltech physicist Dr. Leonard Hofstadter in the television sitcom The Big Bang Theory.Discovered 1 March 1981 by S. J. Bus, Siding Spring
(8800) Brophy
John R. Brophy (b. 1956) is a Principal Engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a key developer of the ion propulsion engines that thrust the Dawn spacecraft to Vesta, enabling it to orbit Vesta, map it, and then continue on to Ceres.Discovered 2 March 1981 by S. J. Bus, Siding Spring
(8810) Johnmcfarland
John McFarland (b. 1948) has made a major contribution to promoting astronomy at Armagh Observatory. He is well known for his knowledge of astronomy and his short biography of Kenneth Essex Edgeworth, the Irish astronomer who predicted the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt.Discovered 15 May 1982 by Helin, E. F., Shoemaker, E. M., Palomar
(9064) Johndavies
John K. Davies (b. 1955) of the Joint Astronomy Centre was instrumental in the successful discovery and follow-up of (3200) Phaethon and several comets with the IRAS satellite in 1983. He has also carried out studies of the infrared nature of distant minor planets and authored a number of popular books and articles.Discovered 21 January 1993 by Spacewatch, Kitt Peak
(9258) Johnpauljones
Born in Scotland, John Paul Jones (1747–1792) was an American Revolutionary War hero. The “Father of the United States Navy”, he was a courageous seaman, leader and tactician. Commander of several ships in action against the British, he notably defeated the H.M.S. Serapis aboard the Bonhomme Richard in 1779.Discovered 29 September 1973 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T., Palomar
(9405) Johnratje
Since 1993 John R. Ratje (b. 1946) has been the assistant director and site manager of Mt. Graham International Observatory, a division of Steward Observatory. Before joining Steward Observatory in 1984, he was an oil-company engineer and manager.Discovered 27 November 1994 by T. Kobayashi, Oizumi
(9618) Johncleese
John Cleese (b. 1939), a member of Monty Python's Flying Circus, has also acted in movies such as A Fish Called Wanda and the television comedy series Fawlty Towers.Discovered 17 March 1993 by UESAC, La Silla
(9626) Stanley
John Stanley (1713-1786), blind from the age of three, became a well-known organist and composer of oratorios and concertos for string orchestra. For the organ he wrote several Voluntaries, which organists like to play.Discovered 14 May 1993 by E. W. Elst, La Silla
(9695) Johnheise
John Heise (b. 1942), professor of general physics at Utrecht University, specialized in high-energy space physics. In 1975 he discovered and detected sources of galactic x-ray bursts (1975). He was among the discoverers in 1998 of the origin of the cosmic γ-ray bursts. The name was suggested by C. de Jager.Discovered 24 September 1960 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T., Palomar
(9703) Sussenbach
John Sussenbach (b. 1938) is a Dutch amateur astronomer known for his excellent sky photographs. He founded the Dutch Working Group for Sky Photography and received the Van der Bilt Prize. The name was suggested by C. de Jager.Discovered 30 September 1973 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T., Palomar
(9917) Keynes
British economist John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) set down the foundations of macroeconomics with his General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money (1936). Although his ideas fell largely out of favor during the 1970s, they were widely revived in 2007--2008 as a cure for the worldwide recession.Discovered 26 June 1979 by C. Torres, Cerro El Roble
(9929) McConnell
John C. McConnell (b. 1946) writes on the history of astronomy, and his photographic archive is much used by historians of science. Currently chairman of the East Antrim Astronomical Society, he was the 1999 recipient of the FitzGerald Medal of the Irish Astronomical Association for his popularization of astronomy.Discovered 24 February 1982 by Oak Ridge Observatory, Harvard
(10056) Johnschroer
John A. Schroer, IV (1956-2014) was a planetarium and space science educator for the Michigan Science Center in Detroit. He was also former president of the Great Lakes Planetarium Association and an avid amateur radio operator. His enthusiasm and love of astronomy opened the universe to school children and the public at large.Discovered 19 January 1988 by H. Debehogne, La Silla
(10085) Jekennedy
John Edward Kennedy (1916–1999) was a physicist who studied at Queen's University and McGill University. He worked with the University of New Brunswick, the Defence Research Medical Laboratory and the University of Saskatchewan. Meteor studies were among his research interests. He was a charter member of the Canadian Astronomical Society.Discovered 25 August 1990 by H. E. Holt, Palomar
(10455) Donnison
John Donnison (b. 1948), of Goldsmith College, London, is well known for his work in using sophisticated statistical techniques to investigate the distribution of the masses and rotation rates of minor planets.Discovered 9 July 1978 by C.-I. Lagerkvist, Mount Stromlo
(10503) Johnmarks
John Marks (b. 1943) founded the international non-profit organization Search for Common Ground (SFCG) in 1982 and served as its President until 2014; he is now a Senior Advisor. SFCG is dedicated to seeking peaceful resolutions for conflicts via exchange visits and other person-to-person interactions.Discovered 27 September 1987 by H. Debehogne, La Silla
(11012) Henning
John Henning (b. 1947) assisted with the control software development during the conversion of the Palomar 1.2-m Oschin telescope. The name was suggested by R. Thicksten.Discovered 15 May 1982 by Palomar, Palomar
(11063) Poynting
British physicist John Henry Poynting (1852-1914) introduced a theorem in 1884 in which he stated that the energy flow at a point can be expressed in terms of the electric and magnetic forces at that point. The so-called “Poynting vector” can be used to determine the radiated energy flow in the vicinity of an antenna.Discovered 2 November 1991 by E. W. Elst, La Silla
(11212) Tebbutt
John Tebbutt (1834-1916) was an Australian astronomer whose observations included many comets and the 1874 transit of Venus. His name is particularly associated with the great comets of 1861 and 1881. He was the first president of the New South Wales branch of the British Astronomical Association.Discovered 18 April 1999 by F. B. Zoltowski, Woomera
(11652) Johnbrownlee
John W. Brownlee (b. 1973) was the system administrator, principal programmer and an observer on the Catalina Sky Survey team during 1998–2000. The citation was prepared by T. B. Spahr.Discovered 7 February 1997 by Sicoli, P., Manca, F., Sormano
(12140) Johnbolton
John G. Bolton (1922-1993) was a pioneer radio astronomer in Australia who used interferometry with direct and sea-reflected signals to identify the first radio sources with optical objects. He directed two major radio observatories.Discovered 24 September 1960 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T., Palomar
(12195) Johndavidniemann
John David Niemann (b. 1984) contributed to NASA's Lucy Trojan asteroid mission as the Lucy Mission Assurance Manager. He is a time traveler, moving through life at the speed of 1x.Discovered 25 June 1979 by Helin, E. F., Bus, S. J., Siding Spring
(12292) Dalton
John Dalton (1766-1844) was a British chemist known for his A new System of chemical Philosophy (1808). Honored in 1822 as a fellow of the Royal Society, he will be also remembered for his investigations into color blindness.Discovered 6 June 1991 by E. W. Elst, La Silla
(13179) Johncochrane
John Dundas Cochrane (1780-1825) was a Scottish explorer who during 1820-1823 crossed on foot from Russia to Kamchatka. His remarkable journey has been described in A pedestrian journey through Russia and Siberian Tartary, to the frontiers of China, the Frozen Sea and Kamtchatka (1829).Discovered 18 April 1996 by E. W. Elst, La Silla
(13543) Butler
John Christopher “Chris” Butler (b. 1964) is a prolific astronomical artist who has painted numerous scenes incorporating fine details and color in works like Apollo Dawn and a sense of humor reflected in such paintings as One Small Mistake for Man and Hooray for Hadleywood.Discovered 2 January 1992 by Spacewatch, Kitt Peak
(13633) Ivens
John Ivens (b. 1964) is a computer programmer working at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. He spent many a night and day writing software to support infrared observations in the Saturn system during the Cassini mission.Discovered 17 November 1995 by Spacewatch, Kitt Peak
(14002) Johngoodhue
John Goodhue (b. 1951) is the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center. This data center and consortium serves more than 20 000 researchers, students, and educators at major colleges and universities in the northeast of the United States.Discovered 15 June 1993 by H. E. Holt, Palomar
(14119) Johnprince
John E. Prince mentored a finalist in the 2002 Discovery Channel Youth Science Challenge (DCYSC), a middle school science competition. He teaches at the Keystone Junior High School, San Antonio, Texas.Discovered 17 August 1998 by LINEAR, Socorro
(14163) Johnchapman
John Herbert Chapman (1921-1979) began his career researching radio propagation and the ionosphere. He worked on the Alouette, ISIS and Hermes satellite projects and was known as the “Father of the Canadian Space Program”.Discovered 13 October 1998 by Spacewatch, Kitt Peak
(14223) Dolby
John Dolby (b. 1961) was a telescope operator at the University of New Mexico's Capilla Peak Observatory during 1988-1989. Since 1995 he has provided consultation and technical assistance to the astronomical and biomedical communities about CCD imaging systems.Discovered 3 December 1999 by C. W. Juels, Fountain Hills
(14274) Landstreet
John Darlington Landstreet (b. 1940) is on the faculty at the University of Western Ontario. He helped discover magnetic fields in white dwarf stars and developed Balmer-line polarimetry for detection of magnetic fields in middle-main sequence stars.Discovered 29 January 2000 by Spacewatch, Kitt Peak
(14505) Barentine
John Caleb Barentine (b. 1976) has served as an observing specialist at the Apache Point Observatory 3.5-m telescope and Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Trained in stellar astronomy, he was introduced to planetary work by colleagues Gil Esquerdo and Carol Neese, who suggested this name.Discovered 12 January 1996 by Spacewatch, Kitt Peak
(15009) Johnwheeler
John Craig Wheeler (b. 1943) is an American astrophysicist who works on theories of supernova. He is Professor of Astronomy at the University of Texas (Austin), and is a former President of the American Astronomical Society. John's 2024 book The Path to Singularity explores AI and future society.Discovered 24 August 1998 by LINEAR, Socorro
(15276) Diebel
John Diebel (b. 1943) is a lifelong amateur astronomer and telescope enthusiast. Thanks largely to his vision in making complex optics and computer electronics available to many, Diebel has made a significant contribution towards encouraging the public to enjoy the night sky.Discovered 14 April 1991 by Shoemaker, C. S., Levy, D. H., Palomar
(15412) Schaefer
John P. Schaefer (b. 1934), founder, in association with Ansel Adams, of the Center for Creative Photography of the University of Arizona, was president of the university during 1971-1982, including the time of formation of the department of planetary sciences. He has also served as president of the Research Corporation.Discovered 2 January 1998 by Spacewatch, Kitt Peak
(15461) Johnbird
John M. Bird (b. 1931) is a professor of geology at Cornell University. He is a pioneer in the geological interpretation of plate-tectonic motions and of deep-earth mineralogy. The name was suggested by P. C. Thomas.Discovered 27 December 1998 by LONEOS, Anderson Mesa
(16085) Laffan
John Laffan mentored a finalist in the 2003 Intel Science Talent Search, a science competition for high school seniors. He teaches at the Clinton Senior High School, Clinton, New York.Discovered 3 October 1999 by LINEAR, Socorro
(16226) Beaton
Named in honor of John Beaton for mentoring a finalist in the 2002 Intel Science Talent Search, a science competition for high school seniors. Beaton is a teacher at the Harvest Christian Academy, Barrigada, Guam.Discovered 29 February 2000 by LINEAR, Socorro
(16266) Johconnell
Named in honor of John McConnell for mentoring a finalist in the 2002 Intel Science Talent Search, a science competition for high school seniors. McConnell is a teacher at the Central High School, Grand Junction, Colorado.Discovered 7 May 2000 by LINEAR, Socorro
(16561) Rawls
John Borden Rawls (1921-2002) was an influential philosopher who earned a Ph.D. from Princeton University and spent 40 years at Harvard University. His 1971 book, A Theory of Justice, reinvigorated the study of political philosophy. The name was suggested by P. Jedicke and R. Jedicke.Discovered 3 November 1991 by Spacewatch, Kitt Peak
(16588) Johngee
For more than half a century John Gee has provided leadership and service to the Caltech Class of 1953 and the Caltech community, including a stint as president of the Alumni Association.Discovered 23 September 1992 by E. F. Helin, Palomar
(16599) Shorland
John Herschel Shorland, a direct descendant of John Herschel, has recently completed his own Herschel Archives in Norfolk, England. These archives include various documents and instruments associated with the Herschels, including the 7-foot telescope probably used by William Herschel to discover Uranus.Discovered 20 January 1993 by Kushida, Y., Muramatsu, O., Yatsugatake
(16901) Johnbrooks
John J. Brooks (b. 1933), a mechanical engineer and amateur astronomer in the γ-ray bursts field at the Santa Barbara Astronomical Group, co-founded a small CCD brand that in 1991 developed star tracking equipment, allowing the start of the CCD revolution in the amateur astronomer's world.Discovered 23 February 1998 by Farra d'Isonzo, Farra d'Isonzo
(17063) Papaloizou
John C. B. Papaloizou (b. 1947), of Queen Mary College, University of London, has worked on the theory of accretion disks, with particular application to the formation of planets.Discovered 15 April 1999 by LONEOS, Anderson Mesa
(17220) Johnpenna
Named in honor of John Penna for mentoring a finalist in the 2002 Intel Science Talent Search, a science competition for high school seniors. Penna is a teacher at the Governor Livingston High School, Berkeley Heights, New Jersey.Discovered 2 February 2000 by LINEAR, Socorro
(17882) Thielemann
John Seth Thielemann (b. 1986) was awarded third place in the 2003 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for his computer science project. He attends the Cumberland Valley High School, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.Discovered 10 February 1999 by LINEAR, Socorro
(17920) Zarnecki
John C. Zarnecki (b. 1949), of the Open University, Milton Keynes, has developed spacecraft instrumentation to study the surfaces and atmospheres of planets, satellites and small bodies. He is a PI for the Huygens probe/lander on the Cassini mission to Saturn and Saturn VI (Titan).Discovered 10 April 1999 by LONEOS, Anderson Mesa
(18024) Dobson
John Dobson (b. 1915) is one of the most important popularizers of astronomy of the twentieth century. His telescope design has spread around the world and enabled amateur astronomers to use larger apertures than before. He demonstrates a passion for sharing his knowledge of the universe with the public at large.Discovered 20 May 1999 by J. M. Roe, Oaxaca
(18377) Vetter
John Francis Vetter (b. 1945) is a retired Australian automotive mechanic. He established the Mudgee Observatory in 2005 and through it shares his love of astronomy with the public and amateur astronomers.Discovered 28 September 1991 by R. H. McNaught, Siding Spring
(18702) Sadowski
John Paul Sadowski (b. 1984) was awarded third place in the 2003 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for his chemistry project. He attends the North Shore High School, Glen Head, New York, U.S.A.Discovered 21 April 1998 by LINEAR, Socorro
(19091) Hagen
John P. Hagen (1908–1990) was an American solar radio astronomer who was appointed director of the Navy's Project Vanguard Earth satellite program in 1955. His awards included the Presidential Certificate of Merit and the U.S. Navy's Distinguished Service Medal. John retired in 1975 as head of the Astronomy Department at Pennsylvania State University.Discovered 6 December 1978 by Bowell, E., Warnock, A., Palomar
(19243) Bunting
Born in Scotland, John Bunting has had experience in geologic field mapping and mineral exploration for more than 30 years, much of it in the remote areas of Western Australia He noted anomalous geologic effects in several places, including the shatter cones at the Shoemaker structure and at Yarrabubba with Francis MacDonald.Discovered 10 February 1994 by Shoemaker, C. S., Shoemaker, E. M., Palomar
(19294) Weymouth
John Weymouth (b. 1922), professor emeritus of physics at the University of Nebraska, received the 1997 Fryxell Award for Interdisciplinary Research in Archaeology. He is internationally recognized for his work in geophysical surveys and currently serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Geophysical Prospection .Discovered 6 August 1996 by R. Linderholm, Lime Creek
(19638) Johngenereid
John Gene Reid (b. 1990) is a finalist in the 2003 Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge, a middle school science competition, for his botany and zoology project. He attends the Moore Middle School, Redlands, California.Discovered 7 September 1999 by LINEAR, Socorro
(19711) Johnaligawesa
John N. L. Aligawesa (1949–1999) was a telecommunications lecturer at the Dar-es-salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) in Tanzania. He attended the City college of New York, where he received his Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering. He was an avid instructor at DIT and a champion for education for all.Discovered 1 October 1999 by CSS, Catalina
(20224) Johnrae
John Rae (1813–1893) was a Scottish explorer who searched successfully for the Northern Passage, a sea route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. His report on the missing ships from the Franklin expedition was not appreciated by the British Admiralty, due to evidence of cannibalism by some of the survivors.Discovered 3 May 1997 by E. W. Elst, La Silla
(20307) Johnbarnes
John Barnes mentored a finalist in the 2004 Intel Science Talent Search, a science competition for high school seniors. He teaches at the Maggie L. Walker Governor's School, Richmond, Virginia.Discovered 31 March 1998 by LINEAR, Socorro
(20309) Batalden
John Batalden mentored a finalist in the 2004 Intel Science Talent Search, a science competition for high school seniors. He teaches at the Wayzata High School, Plymouth, Minnesota.Discovered 31 March 1998 by LINEAR, Socorro
(20314) Johnharrison
John Harrison (1693-1776) was an English clockmaker who worked for decades on the problem of finding longitude at sea, developing a portable timepiece of unprecedented accuracy. This was a great step forward in improving maritime safety and enabled the charting of the world's oceans.Discovered 28 March 1998 by J. Broughton, Reedy Creek
(20324) Johnmahoney
John Mahoney mentored a finalist in the 2004 Intel Science Talent Search, a science competition for high school seniors. He teaches at the Benjamin Banneker High School, Washington, District of Columbia.Discovered 20 April 1998 by LINEAR, Socorro
(20530) Johnayres
John Ayres mentored a finalist in the 2004 Discovery Channel Youth Science Challenge (DCYSC), a middle school science competition. He teaches at the Howard Bishop Middle School, Gainesville, Florida.Discovered 7 September 1999 by LINEAR, Socorro
(21044) Rummel
John Rummel (b. 1952) is an American exobiologist who proposed the establishment of the COSPAR Planetary Protection Panel in 1998 and became its first Chair. He led the revision of existing requirements, internationalizing the field of planetary protection, and cemented COSPAR’s role as the internationally-accepted authority for all such matters.Discovered 16 September 1990 by H. E. Holt, Palomar
(21349) Bevoke
John Beverly “Bev” Oke (1928-2004) did his PhD at Princeton University and had an outstanding career in spectroscopy and instrument design for large telescopes. Name suggested by R. and P. Jedicke.Discovered 10 March 1997 by Spacewatch, Kitt Peak
(21481) Johnwarren
John Warren mentored a finalist in the 2005 Intel Science Talent Search, a science competition for high school seniors. He teaches at the C. K. McClatchy High School, Sacramento, California.Discovered 23 April 1998 by LINEAR, Socorro
(21529) Johnjames
John James Hutchison (b. 1989) was awarded second place in the 2006 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for his botany team project. He attends the Lake Highland Preparatory School, Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.Discovered 26 June 1998 by LINEAR, Socorro
(21617) Johnhagen
John Thomas Hagen (b. 1988) was awarded second place in the 2005 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for his space science project. He attends the Ayersville High School, Defiance, Ohio, U.S.A.Discovered 13 May 1999 by LINEAR, Socorro
(21707) Johnmoore
John Pease Moore, IV (b. 1987) was awarded second place in the 2005 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for his engineering project. He also received the Intel Foundation Achievement Award. He attends the Dayton Christian High School, Miamisburg, Ohio, U.S.A.Discovered 7 September 1999 by LINEAR, Socorro
(21752) Johnthurmon
John Thomas Thurmon (b. 1986) was awarded second place in the 2005 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for his engineering team project. He attends the Chillicothe High School, Chillicothe, Missouri, U.S.A.Discovered 9 September 1999 by LINEAR, Socorro
(21852) Bolander
John Anthony Bolander (b. 1991) is a finalist in the 2005 Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge (DCYSC), a middle school science competition, for his physical science project. He attends the Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, New Albany, Indiana.Discovered 7 October 1999 by LINEAR, Socorro
(22029) Johnshaw
John Shaw (b. 1968) is an astronautic engineer and retired Deputy Commander of the U.S. Space Command. His expertise and leadership in coordination with NASA have been instrumental in advancing humanity’s footing for defending against asteroid impact threats.Discovered 7 December 1999 by CSS, Catalina
(22282) Dreyer
John Louis Emil Dreyer (1852–1926) was a Danish astronomer and historian of astronomy. He compiled the New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars and two supplementary Index Catalogues. He also wrote a biography of Tycho Brahe and two works on the history of astronomy.Discovered 11 September 1985 by Copenhagen Observatory, Brorfelde
(22442) Blaha
John Elmer Blaha (b. 1942) is a U.S. astronaut who made five space missions from 1989 to 1997. Four of them were space-shuttle missions. For the fifth he spent four months aboard the MIR space station.Discovered 14 October 1996 by Ticha, J., Tichy, M., Klet
(22448) Ricksaunders
John Richard Saunders (b. 1956) makes astronomy accessories and began a term as President of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, London Centre, in 2012. Name suggested by P. and R. Jedicke.Discovered 11 October 1996 by Spacewatch, Kitt Peak
(22573) Johnzhou
John Cong Zhou (b. 1988) is a finalist in the 2006 Intel Science Talent Search (STS), a science competition for high school seniors, for his materials science project. He attends the Detroit Country Day School, Beverly Hills, Michigan.Discovered 20 April 1998 by LINEAR, Socorro
(22694) Tyndall
Irish natural philosopher John Tyndall (1820-1893) made fundamental investigations of the motion of glaciers, insisting that the flow is due to fracture and regelation. He is well known for the “Tyndall effect” in suspensions.Discovered 26 August 1998 by E. W. Elst, La Silla
(22740) Rayleigh
John William Rayleigh (1842-1919) was an English physicist who discovered the element argon, for which he was honored with the Nobel Prize for physics in 1904. President of the Royal Society from 1905 to 1908, he is also known for his work on the phenomenon of Rayleigh scattering, explaining the blue color of the daytime sky.Discovered 20 September 1998 by E. W. Elst, La Silla
(22824) von Neumann
Hungarian-U.S. mathematician John Ludwig von Neumann (1903-1957) influenced many branches of mathematics, computer science, physics and economics. He established the basic concepts of programmable serial digital computing and in 1944 joined the team that produced ENIAC, the first U.S. electronic computer.Discovered 12 September 1999 by Pravec, P., Kusnirak, P., Ondrejov
(22911) Johnpardon
John Vincent Pardon (b. 1989) is a finalist in the 2007 Intel Science Talent Search (STS), a science competition for high school seniors, for his mathematics project. He attends the Durham Academy Upper School, Durham, North Carolina.Discovered 4 October 1999 by LINEAR, Socorro
(23128) Dorminy
John Wilson Dorminy (b. 1991) was awarded second place in the 2007 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for his computer science project. He attends the Sola Fide Home School, McDonough, Georgia, U.S.A.Discovered 5 January 2000 by LINEAR, Socorro
(23809) Haswell
John Douglas Reiji Haswell (b. 1993) is a finalist in the 2007 Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge (DCYSC), a middle school science competition, for his biochem, medicine, health, and microbiology project. He attends the Hilo Intermediate School, Hilo, Hawaii.Discovered 17 August 1998 by LINEAR, Socorro
(24105) Broughton
Australian amateur astronomer John Broughton (b. 1952) received a Shoemaker NEO grant in 2002 and accidentally discovered the PHA 2004 GA1 using a 0.5-m telescope he had just recently completed. He has also originated techniques for rigorous timing of minor-planet occultations from CCD drift exposures.Discovered 9 November 1999 by C. W. Juels, Fountain Hills
(24618) Johnduffey
John Duffey (1934–1996) was an influential American bluegrass musician, mandolin player and vocalist. Duffey was a founding member of two important bluegrass bands, the Country Gentlemen and the Seldom Scene. He was inducted with the original Country Gentlemen into the International Bluegrass Music Association's Hall of Fame in 1996.Discovered 6 December 1978 by Bowell, E., Warnock, A., Palomar
(25294) Johnlaberee
John Alfred Laberee (b. 1994) is a finalist in the 2008 Society for Science and the Public middle school science competition, for his environmental sciences project. He is homeschooled in Medford, New Jersey.Discovered 21 November 1998 by LINEAR, Socorro
(25365) Bernreuter
John Bernreuter mentored a finalist in the 2008 Society for Science and the Public middle school science competition. She teaches at the R. Dan Nolan Middle School, Bradenton, Florida.Discovered 3 October 1999 by LINEAR, Socorro
(25907) Capodilupo
John Vincenzo Capodilupo (b. 1991) is a finalist in the 2010 Intel Science Talent Search (STS), a science competition for high school seniors, for his physics project. He attends the Catholic Central High School, Grand Rapids, Michigan.Discovered 3 January 2001 by LINEAR, Socorro
(25955) Radway
John Radway (b. 1936) is a long-time supporter of Lowell Observatory, currently serving on the Advisory Board and the Lowell Observatory Foundation Board. In retirement, John has focused on learning about astronomy and physics. He writes and distributes philosophical essays about the cosmos.Discovered 19 March 2001 by LONEOS, Anderson Mesa
(26284) Johnspahn
John Spahn (b. 1944) has volunteered at Lowell Observatory since 2012. He has helped with various projects in Development, Archives, the volunteer program and the business office, including donor research and the cataloging of books, glass plate negatives, and other artifacts.Discovered 17 September 1998 by LONEOS, Anderson Mesa
(26993) Littlewood
John Edensor Littlewood (1885-1977) was an English mathematician mainly associated with Trinity College, Cambridge. Most of his work in analysis was done in collaboration with G. H. Hardy and extended over Diophantine approximations, number theory, the Riemann zeta function, inequalities and Fourier series.Discovered 3 December 1997 by P. G. Comba, Prescott
(27508) Johncompton
John Compton (b. 1984), Program and Scheduling Coordinator at Lowell Observatory, creates specialty programs for visiting groups. Working with the Girl Scouts Arizona Cactus-Pine Council leaders, he developed a workshop that helps Girl Scouts earn their Space Science badge.Discovered 7 April 2000 by LONEOS, Anderson Mesa
(27533) Johnbrucato
John Brucato (b. 1968) is a senior scientist at the Astrobiology Laboratory at INAF Italy. He is an expert in laboratory studies related to asteroids and astrobiology, and simulating physical-chemical processes of organic molecules interacting with minerals found in planetary materials.Discovered 26 April 2000 by LONEOS, Anderson Mesa
(28045) Johnwilkins
John C. Wilkins (b. 2000) is a finalist in the 2012 Broadcom MASTERS, a math and science competition for middle-school students, for his earth and space sciences project. He attends the Keystone School, San Antonio, Texas.Discovered 31 March 1998 by LINEAR, Socorro
(28602) Westfall
John Westfall (b. 1938) is Professor Emeritus at San Francisco State University and the former Executive Director of the Association of Lunar & Planetary Observers (1985-1995), as well as a recipient of the ALPO Walter Haas Observing Award in 1988 and the ALPO Peggy Haas Service Award in 1998.Discovered 4 March 2000 by CSS, Catalina
(28785) Woodjohn
John Wood mentored a finalist in the 2013 Broadcom MASTERS, a math and science competition for middle school students. He teaches at the Samuel E. Talbert Middle School, Huntington Beach, California.Discovered 29 April 2000 by LINEAR, Socorro
(29146) McHone
John F. McHone (b. 1944), a versatile scientist with interests in geology, oceanography and planetary science, has worked for 25 years on the detection and verification of terrestrial impact craters throughout the world. His studies are based on fieldwork, mineralogy and remote sensing data, including synthetic-aperture radar.Discovered 17 March 1988 by Shoemaker, C. S., Shoemaker, E. M., Palomar
(29348) Criswick
John Criswick (b. 1963) is a University of Victoria alumnus who, as a result of his passion for astronomy, has been an enthusiastic proponent for astronomy education in Canada.Discovered 28 March 1995 by D. D. Balam, Victoria
(29585) Johnhale
John Edward Hale (b. 1995) was awarded first place in the 2013 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for his environmental management team project. He attends the Morristown Hamblen High School East, Morristown, Tennessee, U.S.A.Discovered 20 March 1998 by LINEAR, Socorro
(30007) Johnclarke
John Anthony Clarke (b. 1996) is a finalist in the 2014 Intel Science Talent Search, a science competition for high school seniors, for his earth and planetary science project. He attends the Regis High School, New York, New York.Discovered 2 February 2000 by LINEAR, Socorro
(30092) Menke
John Menke (b. 1940) is a trustee of the Lowell Observatory Foundation. His past professions have included physicist at the Bureau of Standards in Gaithersburg, politician, and staff scientist at the Mitre Corporation. In 1991, he and his wife Meg began an astronomical-dome manufacturing business, which they ran until they retired in 2002.Discovered 11 March 2000 by LONEOS, Anderson Mesa
(30371) Johngorman
John Gorman mentored a finalist in the 2015 Intel Science Talent Search (STS), a science competition for high school seniors. He teaches at the Jesuit High School, Portland, Oregon.Discovered 7 May 2000 by LINEAR, Socorro
(31113) Stull
John Stull has selflessly spent much time and effort to build the observatory at Alfred University from a telescope lost in an attic to arguably one of the best undergraduate observatories in the U.S. He built or improved five telescopes, including a 0.8-meter Newtonian that is the largest optical telescope in New York state.Discovered 19 August 1997 by DeGraff, D. R., Weaver, J. S., Alfred University
(31482) Caddell
John Chapman Alexander Caddell (b. 1998) was awarded best of category and first place in the 2014 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for his physics and astronomy project. He attends the Stevenson School, Pebble Beach, California, U.S.A.Discovered 10 February 1999 by LINEAR, Socorro
(31555) Wheeler
John Archibald Wheeler (b. 1911), one of the world's finest theoretical physicists, was a professor at Princeton and later at the University of Texas. From nuclear physics and quantum theory, to relativity and gravitation, Wheeler's work has set the trajectory of research for more than half a century.Discovered 7 March 1999 by S. Sposetti, Gnosca
(31640) Johncaven
John Blake Caven (b. 2003) is a finalist in the 2015 Broadcom MASTERS, a math and science competition for middle school students, for his computer science and software engineering project. He attends the Julia Landon College Preparatory, Jacksonville , Florida.Discovered 6 April 1999 by LINEAR, Socorro
(31731) Johnwiley
John Wiley mentored a finalist in the 2015 Broadcom MASTERS, a math and science competition for middle school students. He teaches at the Challenge School, Denver, Colorado.Discovered 12 May 1999 by LINEAR, Socorro
(31975) Johndean
John L. Dean (b. 1997) was awarded second place in the 2015 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for his physics and astronomy project. He attends the Scotia Glenville High School, Scotia, New York, U.S.A.Discovered 28 April 2000 by LINEAR, Socorro
(31982) Johnwallis
John Wallis (1616-1703) was an professor of geometry at Oxford. His fame rests on a formula that represents π as an infinite product and on the invention of the symbol ∞ for infinity.Discovered 30 April 2000 by P. G. Comba, Prescott
(32185) Noonan
John William Noonan (b. 1994) is an American planetary scientist with expertise in ultraviolet observations and chemical modeling of comets who received his doctorate from the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona.Discovered 5 July 2000 by LONEOS, Anderson Mesa
(32208) Johnpercy
British-born John R. Percy (b. 1941), a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Toronto, has written over 400 scientific papers, articles and books on variable stars and astronomy education. His organizational affiliations span the globe, and his many awards reflect his dedicated support to astronomy education.Discovered 28 July 2000 by Collins, M., Gahran, M., Anza
(32432) Stansberry
John Stansberry (b. 1962) is an American researcher at the Space Telescope Science Institute (Baltimore, MD). He studies Pluto's and Triton's atmospheres, Io's volcanism, and has contributed to measurements of the diameters and albedos of numerous Centaurs and Kuiper belt objects.Discovered 2 September 2000 by LONEOS, Anderson Mesa
(33210) Johnrobertson
John Robertson mentored a finalist in the 2016 Broadcom MASTERS, a math and science competition for middle school students. He teaches at the Alcott Elementary School, Riverside, California.Discovered 20 March 1998 by LINEAR, Socorro
(33467) Johnlieb
John Michael Lieb mentored a finalist in the 2017 Regeneron Science Talent Search, a science competition for high school seniors. He teaches at the Roxbury Latin School, West Roxbury, Massachusetts.Discovered 19 March 1999 by LINEAR, Socorro
(33800) Gross
John Gross (b. 1959), an amateur astronomer, operates an automated remote access (via Internet) observatory in Sonoita, Arizona, used for research on minor planets and variable stars.Discovered 8 November 1999 by C. W. Juels, Fountain Hills
(33832) Johnplane
John M. C. Plane (b. 1958) is a British atmospheric chemist who studies planetary atmospheres using laboratory work, atmospheric measurements and numerical modeling. He is an expert on meteor ablation.Discovered 11 March 2000 by LONEOS, Anderson Mesa
(33936) Johnwells
John Wells mentored a finalist in the 2017 Broadcom MASTERS, a math and science competition for middle school students. He teaches at the William Hopkins Junior High School, Fremont, California.Discovered 7 June 2000 by LINEAR, Socorro
(34282) Applegate
John Applegate mentored a finalist in the 2018 Regeneron Science Talent Search, a science competition for high school seniors. He teaches at the St. Andrew's Episcopal School, Ridgeland, Mississippi.Discovered 31 August 2000 by LINEAR, Socorro
(34289) Johndell
John Dell mentored a finalist in the 2018 Regeneron Science Talent Search, a science competition for high school seniors. He teaches at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Virginia.Discovered 25 August 2000 by LINEAR, Socorro
(34354) Johnmadland
John William Madland (b. 2004) was a finalist in the 2018 Broadcom MASTERS, a math and science competition for middle school students, for his physics project. He attended the Leslie Middle School, Salem, Oregon.Discovered 1 September 2000 by LINEAR, Socorro
(36061) Haldane
British biologist and philosopher of science John Burton Sanderson Haldane (1892-1964) worked on the role of natural selection in biological evolution. He also studied the role of size of organisms, stating “Haldane's principle” (in his 1928 essay On being the right size) and wrote on the subject of biostatistics.Discovered 11 September 1999 by M. M. M. Santangelo, Monte Agliale
(40919) Johntonry
John Tonry (b. 1953), of the University of Hawaii, has worked at the cutting edge of science and technology in astronomy. He developed the orthogonal transfer CCD concept, and a new method for extragalactic distance determinations, and was on the team that made the Nobel Prize winning discovery of dark energy.Discovered 9 October 1999 by LINEAR, Socorro
(45510) Kashuba
John H. Kashuba (1947) is a meteorite collector and photographer whose artful high-resolution images of meteorites in thin section appear in books, magazines and online, including his Micro Visions column in Meteorite Times. With Belgian chemist Roger Warin, he authored the Centerpiece column in Meteorite magazine.Discovered 30 January 2000 by CSS, Catalina
(47044) Mcpainter
John D. McClusky (1914-1994) was a dedicated artist who portrayed the town of Fredericksburg, Texas, and its people in his paintings. He founded the Fredericksburg Art Guild, and for 30 years he gave tri-weekly free art lessons to all who desired to learn to paint.Discovered 16 November 1998 by J. V. McClusky, Fair Oaks Ranch
(47619) Johnpursch
John Pursch (b. 1958) is a long-time computing systems manager of the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and Department of Planetary Sciences. He has provided critical support for numerous planetary scientists, students and spacecraft missions. He is also known for his award-winning poetry.Discovered 30 January 2000 by CSS, Catalina
(47775) Johnanderson
John William Anderson (b. 1953) worked on image digitizing and analysis of the Surveyor Moon lander data at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory of University of Arizona. Prior to that he worked as an engineer for a TV station also at that university.Discovered 27 February 2000 by CSS, Catalina
(48411) Johnventre
John Ventre (b. 1935) is a teacher, friend, meteorite expert, Cincinnati Observatory Center historian, and resident “lunatic”. Name suggested by F. N. Bowman.Discovered 5 September 1985 by H. Debehogne, La Silla
(48886) Jonanderson
John Roy Anderson (b. 1944), known professionally as Jon Anderson, is one of the founders of the progressive rock band Yes. He has also recorded many solo albums and collaborated with many musicians, including Vangelis and Mike Oldfield. His alto tenor voice is one of the most recognizable in the prog rock scene.Discovered 7 May 1998 by ODAS, Caussols
(49700) Mather
U.S. cosmologist John Mather (b. 1946) led the team that constructed the Cosmic Background Explorer Satellite and was a co-recipient of the 2006 Nobel prize in physics for his role in mapping microwave radiation and understanding the early universe. He is also senior project scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope.Discovered 1 November 1999 by Elst, E. W., Ipatov, S. I., Uccle
(52008) Johnnaka
John Yoshio Naka (1914-2004) was the preeminent American bonsai master of the late 20th century. He was an important figure in American bonsai art from the 1950s through the 1980s and was a driving force in the spread of bonsai appreciation and the practice of the bonsai art form.Discovered 9 March 2002 by CSS, Catalina
(52692) Johnscalzi
John Michael Scalzi (b. 1969) is an American science fiction writer. His humorous and heartfelt works speak to the deeply personal impacts of global social issues, encouraging laughter at the absurdity of existence and deep thought about affecting change in our world.Discovered 21 March 1998 by Spacewatch, Kitt Peak
(61190) Johnschutt
John Schutt (b. 1948) served for more than two decades as a member of the yearly field teams sent by the Antarctic Search for Meteorites Program to Antarctica. He played a key role in assuring that the expeditions were executed safely. As a participant he has found over 10~000 “earthbound minor planets”.Discovered 1 July 2000 by Collins, M., White, M., Anza
(66661) Wallin
John F. Wallin (b. 1961) is an astrophysicist at George Mason University, Virginia. He is an educator and researcher of stellar formation, galactic dynamics and the presence and effects of non-baryonic matter in the solar system.Discovered 2 October 1999 by D. S. Dixon, Las Cruces
(69239) Johnstarling
John Starling (1940–2019) was a surgeon, vocalist and co-founder of the renowned Seldom Scene bluegrass band. A powerful and expressive singer, he was also the musical consultant for the recording “Trio” by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, which received a Grammy in 1988. His recording “Spring Training” won a Grammy in 1992.Discovered 6 December 1978 by Bowell, E., Warnock, A., Palomar
(72802) Wetton
John Kenneth Wetton (1949-2017) was a progressive rock musician who worked with many groups during his long career, including Phil Manzanera, King Crimson, Roxy Music, U.K. and Asia. His beautiful voice complemented his equally impressive technical mastery of the bass guitar.Discovered 26 March 2001 by M. W. Buie, Kitt Peak
(75564) Audubon
John James Audubon (1785–1851) was the preeminent wildlife artist in the U.S. for half a century. His seminal Birds of America, a collection of 435 life-size prints, is still a standard against which bird artists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries are judged. The National Audubon Society bears his name.Discovered 2 January 2000 by C. W. Juels, Fountain Hills
(75837) Johnbriol
John Briol (b. 1955) is a dedicated amateur astronomer who has contributed thousands of asteroid observations to the OSIRIS-REx Target Asteroids! citizen science program and Target NEOs! Astronomical League Observing Program. He observes variable stars with the American Association of Variable Star Observers.Discovered 30 January 2000 by CSS, Catalina
(85200) Johnhault
John A. Hault (b. 1946) was curator of Edmonton's Queen Elizabeth Planetarium when, in the mid-1970s, he recognized the need for a major science center. He played the major role in developing the project and served as the first director of the Edmonton Space Sciences Centre (now the Odyssium) when it opened in 1984.Discovered 6 October 1991 by A. Lowe, Palomar
(89956) Leibacher
John W. Leibacher (b. 1941) is the principal investigator of the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) project that studies the physics of the solar interior at six locations around the world. He is former director of the National Solar Observatory.Discovered 6 June 2002 by Juels, C. W., Holvorcem, P. R., Fountain Hills
(90308) Johney
John Ey (b. 1952) is a photographer in Tucson who specializes in natural scenic images of the American west. He is also an amateur paleontologist primarily interested in carnivore dentition.Discovered 23 March 2003 by CSS, Catalina
(90383) Johnloiacono
John Loiacono (b. 1962) is the Deputy Project Manager for the OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission. He also served as the IRIS Mission Manager, the ICESat-2 Project Manager, the Instrument Systems Manager on the EOS/Aura project, and the Deputy Experiment Manager for the HST Imaging Spectrograph.Discovered 16 November 2003 by CSS, Catalina
(90463) Johnrichard
John B. Dixon (b. 1923) of Hadley, Michigan, and Richard R. Dixon (b. 1927) of Ortonville, Michigan, expended considerable time and effort in transporting observatory domes from Michigan to New Mexico and then in the construction of the structures for Jornada Observatory in New Mexico.Discovered 14 February 2004 by D. S. Dixon, Las Cruces
(91199) Johngray
British philosopher John Gray (b. 1948) considers morality to be an illusion and mankind a rapacious species engaged in wiping out other forms of life while destroying its natural environment.Discovered 20 September 1998 by E. W. Elst, La Silla
(97637) Blennert
John Blennert (b. 1951) is a meteorite hunter in Tucson, Arizona, one of three co-discoverers of the Gold Basin Meteorite Strewn Field.Discovered 10 March 2000 by CSS, Catalina
(103560) Peate
John Peate (1820-1902) was an amateur optician who fabricated large telescope mirrors in the late 19th century, culminating with a 62″ mirror in 1897, then the largest in the world. That mirror is now kept in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History in Washington DC.Discovered 30 January 2000 by CSS, Catalina
(107379) Johnlogan
John Logan (b. 1961) is a highly acclaimed and award winning writer of fiction and screenplays. Among his many successes are Gladiator, The Last Samurai and Penny Dreadful, each expertly probing the essence of the nature of humans.Discovered 15 February 2001 by Tenagra II, Nogales
(113949) Bahcall
John Norris Bahcall (1934-2005) was an American astrophysicist, best known for his contributions to the solar neutrino problem, models of stellar structure, his tireless advocacy of the Hubble Space Telescope, and for his leadership and development of the astrophysics program at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.Discovered 4 October 2002 by Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Apache Point
(118769) Olivas
John D. Olivas (b. 1966) is a former American astronaut. Olivas flew two Space Shuttle missions to assemble the International Space Station (in 2007 and 2009). He conducted five space walks during those two missions.Discovered 28 August 2000 by M. W. Buie, Cerro Tololo
(126749) Johnjones
John Jones (1927-2006) was a walking encyclopedia of the Greek and Roman mythology of the sky. He shared his love of the sky with the boy scouts for over 55 years. A president of the Chicago Astronomical Society and general chairman of Astrofest, he also lectured at the Cernan Earth and Space Center, Triton College.Discovered 20 February 2002 by B. L. Stevens, Desert Moon
(127030) Herrington
John Herrington (b. 1958) is a former NASA astronaut and a member of the Chickasaw Nation. Herrington was a mission specialist for the 16th space shuttle flight to the International Space Station and he performed three space walks during the mission.Discovered 6 April 2002 by M. W. Buie, Cerro Tololo
(127803) Johnvaneepoel
John M. Van Eepoel (b. 1977) contributed to the NASA OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission as part of the Navigation/Flight Dynamics Team.Discovered 27 March 2003 by CSS, Catalina
(128523) Johnmuir
John Muir (1838-1914), a Scottish-born Californian pioneer explorer, glaciologist and conservationist, is acknowledged as the primary architect of the National Park concept used worldwide to protect and preserve wild places, and he was one of the founders of the worldwide conservation organization known as the Sierra Club.Discovered 11 August 2004 by R. E. Jones, Francisquito
(129324) Johnweirich
John R. Weirich (b. 1979) is a researcher at the Planetary Science Institute. Currently his research focus is testing and preparing code that will be used to build a shape model of asteroid Bennu for the OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission. He also conducts age dating on impact-melted meteorites.Discovered 4 October 2005 by Mt. Lemmon Survey, Mount Lemmon
(132718) Kemeny
Hungarian-born U.S. mathematician John George Kemény (1926-1992) was best known for co-developing the BASIC programming language in 1964 with Thomas Eugene Kurtz. He served as the thirteenth president of Dartmouth College (1970-1981) and pioneered the use of computers in college education.Discovered 23 July 2002 by K. Sarneczky, Palomar
(133774) Johnkidd
John Kidd (b. 1989) worked on the OSIRIS-REx mission as a Science Processing and Operations Center Planning Engineer. John was responsible for the development of the MASC tool, which was used to assist in the autonomous planning of science observations.Discovered 16 November 2003 by CSS, Catalina
(133807) Johnphelps
John D. Phelps Jr. (1945–2025) was an American amateur astronomer who helped found IOTA and was its first vice-president and later treasurer. He organized many graze expeditions to map the lunar limb. John visited dark sites to make visual observations of the sky. He was on the staff of the Field Museum in Chicago, IL.Discovered 24 November 2003 by B. L. Stevens, Desert Moon
(134081) Johnmarshall
John Marshall (b. 1948) was the Asteroid Scientist - Regolith for the OSIRIS-REx mission.Discovered 9 December 2004 by CSS, Catalina
(136197) Johnandrews
John P. Andrews (b. 1963) is a research and development director for Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, CO. He served as the Project Manager for the New Horizons mission to Pluto.Discovered 22 October 2003 by M. W. Buie, Kitt Peak
(141414) Bochanski
John Bochanski (b. 1980) is an American astronomer and a contributor to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. John is best known for his work on the luminosity function of low-mass stars and the structure of the Milky Way.Discovered 8 January 2002 by Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Apache Point
(142369) Johnhodges
John V. Hodges (1918-1983) was an active member and later observatory director of the Regina Astronomical Society. He was also a member of the Meteoritical Society and the National Research Council of Canada's Associate Committee on Meteorites. The name was suggested by E. Majden.Discovered 14 September 2002 by R. Matson, Palomar
(148604) Shobbrook
John Shobbrook (b. 1948) is a friend and loyal supporter of the Rose-Hulman Oakley Observatory, where this minor planet was discovered.Discovered 11 September 2001 by C. Wolfe, Terre Haute
(153078) Giovale
John P. Giovale (b. 1943) served as chairman of the Lowell Observatory Advisory Board during 2001--2007. A mechanical engineer by training, he was instrumental in the success of the Medical Products Division of W. L. Gore and Associates. He has an abiding interest in astronomy and is a close friend and mentor of the discoverer.Discovered 26 August 2000 by R. Millis, Cerro Tololo
(154660) Kavelaars
John J. Kavelaars (b. 1966) is an associate research officer at the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics of the National Research Council of Canada and a co-discoverer of several dozen irregular satellites of the outer planets.Discovered 29 March 2004 by D. D. Balam, Mauna Kea
(156939) Odegard
John D. Odegard (1941-1998), born in Minot, North Dakota, was an aviation visionary who started the flight-training program at the University of North Dakota in 1968.Discovered 24 March 2003 by V. Reddy, Goodricke-Pigott
(185020) Pratte
John R. Pratte (b. 1941) is an associate who has been instrumental in the construction of instrumentation at the Astronomical Research Observatory. Pratte has constructed a number of telescopes including first-rate astronomical mirrors, making a profound impact on NEO research.Discovered 23 August 2006 by R. Holmes, Charleston
(187447) Johnmester
John Clark Mester (b. 1961) is the former Associate Vice President for Research at the University of Arizona, where he established space situational awareness and quantum information initiatives. A physicist by training, he was instrumental in the development and launch of NASA's Gravity Probe B mission.Discovered 29 November 2005 by V. Reddy, Goodricke-Pigott
(197200) Johnmclaughlin
John McLaughlin (b. 1942) is an English guitarist, composer, bandleader and an early pioneer of jazz fusion. As an innovative guitarist and an endlessly creative musical force, his compositions and many collaborations with a “who’s who” of adventurous artists have integrated elements of jazz fusion, rock, funk, blues, acoustic, and classical Indian music.Discovered 16 November 2003 by CSS, Catalina
(211021) Johnpercin
John Percin Jr. (1989-2013) was one of the 19 elite Prescott's Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighters who lost their lives battling a blaze on a ridge in Yarnell, AZ. Crews such as the Hotshots are connected to astronomy through their brave efforts to protect forests and the observatories within them from fire threats.Discovered 18 December 2001 by Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Apache Point
(213771) Johndee
John Dee (1527-1608), English mathematician, astronomer, navigation expert, the author of Mathematical Preface to Euclid's Elements, was also interested in alchemy and hermetic philosophy. Dee served as a consultant to Queen Elizabeth I and from 1586 to 1589 he worked at the court of the Rosenbergs in South Bohemia.Discovered 27 February 2003 by KLENOT, Klet
(214863) Seiradakis
John H. Seiradakis (b. 1948) is a Greek radio astronomer, emeritus professor at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and former Director of the Observatory of Thessaloniki. He has contributed significantly to our knowledge of pulsars, archaeoastronomy, and of the Antikythera Mechanism, the earliest known astronomical computer.Discovered 27 December 2006 by Mt. Lemmon Survey, Mount Lemmon
(216591) Coetzee
John Maxwell Coetzee (b. 1940) is a South African author and academic, now living in Australia. In 2003 he won the Nobel Prize in Literature, with the following motivation: “who in innumerable guises portrays the surprising involvement of the outsider”. Name suggested by Francesca Nocentini, who studied Coetzee's work.Discovered 21 July 2002 by G. Masi, Campo Catino
(230434) Johnhanley
John J. Hanley (b. 1963) is an American electrical engineer who provided key support during the building of the NASA New Horizons mission payload.Discovered 10 August 2002 by M. W. Buie, Cerro Tololo
(231042) Johnhayes
John R. Hayes (b. 1960) is an American software engineer specializing in embedded systems. He is an expert in digital systems design and analysis and in computer architecture. John has worked on numerous space flight missions, including NEAR, Cassini, New Horizons, Juno, and Parker Solar Probe.Discovered 9 March 2005 by M. W. Buie, Kitt Peak
(243262) Korkosz
Frank and John Korkosz, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, were pioneers in the development of mid-sized, high-quality planetariums. A planetarium they completed in 1937 for the Springfield Science Museum in Massachusetts is currently the oldest operating projection planetarium in the United States.Discovered 31 December 2007 by L. Buzzi, Schiaparelli
(246861) Johnelwell
John Elwell (b. 1958) is an expert in the design, construction and calibration of infrared instrumentation for space-based missions to study astrophysics and the Earth's atmosphere. He was the project manager for the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer's science payload.Discovered 17 May 2010 by WISE, WISE
(249522) Johndailey
John Dailey (b. 1978) is a software engineer who was the lead developer for the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer's moving object processing system for identifying minor planets in the project's infrared images.Discovered 16 February 2010 by WISE, WISE
(254000) Johncryan
John C. Ryan (b. 1942) is an American philanthropist who served on the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's advisory board. He generously supported astronomy and the pursuit to find life beyond Earth via a postdoctoral fellowship, supporting the GMT, and as the founding donor of STARS, which provides telescopes and training to rural US schools.Discovered 15 March 2004 by CSS, Catalina
(263844) Johnfarrell
John A. Farrell (b. 1935) is an American physicist, a comet and variable-star observer, and a member of the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network board of directors and Science Advisory Group. John provided crucial, high-quality positions needed for the numbering of this minor planet.Discovered 21 January 2009 by J. Hobart, Kachina
(273230) de Bruyn
John Roy de Bruyn (b. 1958) is a Canadian physicist working on experimental condensed-matter physics, with emphasis on soft materials, the physics of biological systems, and the dynamics of systems driven out of equilibrium.Discovered 1 May 2006 by P. A. Wiegert, Mauna Kea
(315012) Hutchings
John Barrie Hutchings (b. 1941) uses observations from the X-ray to the radio regimes to probe intrinsically-luminous stars, X-ray binaries, neutron stars and stellar-mass black holes, and active galactic nuclei and quasars.Discovered 20 January 2007 by D. D. Balam, Mauna Kea
(316202) Johnfowler
John Fowler (b. 1942) is an American scientist who has worked on a variety of NASA missions, including Viking, the Infrared Astronomical Satellite, the Two Micron All-Sky Survey, the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer.Discovered 16 June 2010 by WISE, WISE
(333035) Pelgrift
John Pelgrift (b. 1994) worked on the navigation teams for the OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission and the New Horizons Kuiper Extended Mission. He helped reach the farthest object ever visited and the smallest body ever orbited at the time, pushing the extremes of spaceflight and exploration.Discovered 31 October 2007 by Mt. Lemmon Survey, Mount Lemmon
(353429) Fairlamb
John R. Fairlamb (b. 1988) is a British astronomer from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He works as a software specialist at the University of Hawaiʻi as part of the Pan-STARRS survey where he aids efforts to discover Near-Earth Objects. He graduated with a PhD in astronomy from the University of Leeds, where he studied mass accretion in Herbig Ae/Be stars.Discovered 8 June 2011 by Pan-STARRS 1, Haleakala
(357243) Jefferies
John T. Jefferies (b. 1925) is an Australian-American solar physicist and was the founder and first Director of the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy. He oversaw the development of several major telescopes on Mauna Kea, including the CFHT. He became the first Director of the National Optical Astronomy Observatories in 1984.Discovered 18 October 2011 by Pan-STARRS 1, Haleakala
(381260) Ouellette
John A. Ouellette (b. 1968) is currently an operations manager at the National Research Council of Canada and an authority on blue straggler stars.Discovered 11 October 2007 by D. D. Balam, Mauna Kea
(427695) Johnpazder
Named for John Pazder (b. 1967) of the National Research Council of Canada. John is the team leader of the optics group of the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics and optical engineer for the Thirty Meter Telescope project. He has been a near-lifelong friend of the discoverer.Discovered 16 March 2004 by D. D. Balam, Mauna Kea
(522466) Auyeung
John Auyeung (b. 1952) is an American physicist. He played a critical role in the delivery of high-performance HgCdTe infrared detectors to NASA space missions including Hubble, the James Webb Space Telescope, and the Roman Space Telescope.Discovered 19 February 2010 by WISE, WISE
(591201) Johnpye
John Pye (b. 1952) is an American astronomer and Professor Emeritus at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College who was involved in observing and monitoring satellites, space debris, and asteroids. He helped to design a new Science Building and observatory at Maui College. Name suggested by Astronomy Lab students at Maui College who participated in IASC.Discovered 6 March 2013 by Pan-STARRS 1, Haleakala
(757109) Donaldmoffatt
John Donald Moffatt (b. 1963) is a Canadian former Public Educator at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory of the Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Institute of the National Research Council of Canada. He was instrumental in the re-establishment of the interpretive centre at the observatory.Discovered 24 May 2000 by D. D. Balam C. Veillet, Maunakea