Meanings of minor planet names: 208001–209000

As minor planet discoveries are confirmed, they are given a permanent number by the IAU's Minor Planet Center (MPC), and the discoverers can then submit names for them, following the IAU's naming conventions. The list below concerns those minor planets in the specified number-range that have received names, and explains the meanings of those names.

Official naming citations of newly named small Solar System bodies are approved and published in a bulletin by IAU's Working Group for Small Bodies Nomenclature (WGSBN).^[1] Before May 2021, citations were published in MPC's Minor Planet Circulars for many decades.^[2] Recent citations can also be found on the JPL Small-Body Database (SBDB).^[3] Until his death in 2016, German astronomer Lutz D. Schmadel compiled these citations into the Dictionary of Minor Planet Names (DMP) and regularly updated the collection.^[4]^[5]

Based on Paul Herget's The Names of the Minor Planets,^[6] Schmadel also researched the unclear origin of numerous asteroids, most of which had been named prior to World War II. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: SBDB New namings may only be added to this list below after official publication as the preannouncement of names is condemned.^[7] The WGSBN publishes a comprehensive guideline for the naming rules of non-cometary small Solar System bodies.^[8]

208001–208100

Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
There are no named minor planets in this number range

208101–208200

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
208117 Davidgerdes	2000 CJ₁₁₉	David W. Gerdes (b. 1964), an American astrophysicist.	IAU · 208117
208196 Matthiashahn	2000 QM₂₄₆	Matthias K. Hahn (b. 1984), a German planetary scientist.	IAU · 208196

208201–208300

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
There are no named minor planets in this number range

208301–208400

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
208351 Sielmann	2001 RO₁₅	Heinz Sielmann (1917–2006), German wildlife photographer, zoologist and documentary filmmaker.	JPL · 208351

208401–208500

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
208425 Zehavi	2001 SF₃₅₃	Idit Zehavi (born 1969), an Israel-American astrophysicist and a contributor to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey	JPL · 208425
208499 Shokasonjuku	2001 WN₂	The Shōkasonjuku Academy, a former private school located in Hagi city, Yamaguchi prefecture	MPC · 208499

208501–208600

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
There are no named minor planets in this number range

208601–208700

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
There are no named minor planets in this number range

208701–208800

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
There are no named minor planets in this number range

208801–208900

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
There are no named minor planets in this number range

208901–209000

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Named minor planet	Provisional	This minor planet was named for...	Ref · Catalog
208915 Andrewashcraft	2002 TU₃₁₄	Andrew Ashcraft (1984–2013), one of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots, who lost their lives fighting the 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona	JPL · 208915
208916 Robertcaldwell	2002 TN₃₁₇	Robert Caldwell (1990–2013), one of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots, who lost their lives fighting the 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona	JPL · 208916
208917 Traviscarter	2002 TX₃₆₂	Travis Carter (1982–2013), one of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots, who lost their lives fighting the 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona	JPL · 208917