5 Minor planets named after top Chinese scientists
Q. How many minor planets have been named after top Chinese scientists including country’s first Nobel laureate scientist Tu Youyou?- Published on 07 Jan 16a. 3
b. 4
c. 5
d. 6
ANSWER: 5
Total of 5 minor planets have been named after top Chinese scientists including the nation’s first Nobel laureate Tu Youyou. Naming was assigned by National Astronomical Observatories of Chinese Academy of Sciences and approved by International Astronomical Union Minor Planet Centre. Minor planet 31230 was named after Nobel laureate Tu while minor planets 12935, 19282, 32928 and 9221 were named after Zheng Zhemin, Zhang Cunhao, Xie Jialin and Wu Liangyong respectively. All the scientists except Tu are winners of the country’s top science prize, State Top Scientific and Technological Award. 5 minor planets were discovered between 1995 and 1999 by Beijing Schmidt CCD Asteroid Program in N. China.
