List of minor planets named after animals and plants


This is a list of minor planets named after animals and plants.

Animals

Minor planetName MeaningCommon namesCrossRefs
702 AlaudaAlauda larks
706 HirundoHirundo passerines
709 FringillaFringilla finches
713 LusciniaLuscinia smallish passerine birds, nightingales
1320 ImpalaAepyceros melampusImpala, medium-sized antelope
2731 CuculaCuculus Cuckoo
2089 CetaceaCetacea whales, dolphines, porpoise
2868 UpupaUpupa epopshoopoe
4198 PantheraPanthera big cat
4471 Graculuspyrrhocorax graculus
5026 Martesmartes martes and martes foinapine marten and beech marten
6043 Aurochsaurochs
6827 WombatVombatidae Wombat
7334 SciurusSciurus squirrel
7464 ViperaViperidae viper snake family
7613 ʻAkikiki
  • ʻakikiki
  • Kaua`i creeper
  • 8433 BrachyrhynchusAnser brachyrhynchusPink-footed goose
    8434 ColumbianusCygnus columbianusTundra swan
    8435 AnserAnser anserGreylag goose
    8436 LeucopsisBranta leucopsisBarnacle goose
    8437 BerniclaBranta berniclaBrent goose
    8438 MarilaAythya marilaGreater scaup
    8439 AlbellusMergellus albellusSmew
    8440 WigeonAnas penelopeWigeon
    8441 LapponicaLimosa lapponicaBar-tailed godwit
    8442 OstralegusHaematopus ostralegusEurasian oystercatcher
    8443 SvecicaLuscinia svecicaBluethroat
    8564 AnomalocarisAnomalocaris meaning abnormal shrimp, an extinct genus of anomalocaridid
    8586 Epopsupupa epopshoopoe
    8587 Ruficollistachybaptus ruficollislittle grebe
    8588 Avosettarecurvirostra avosettapied avocet
    8589 Stellarisbotaurus stellarisgreat bittern
    8590 Pygarguscircus pygargusMontagu's harrier
    8591 Excubitorlanius excubitorgreat grey shrike
    8592 Rubetrasaxicola rubetrawhinchat
    8593 Angustirostrismarmaronetta angustirostrismarbled duck
    8594 Albifronssterna albifronslittle tern
    8595 Dougalliisterna dougalliiroseate tern
    8596 Alchatapterocles alchatapin-tailed sandgrouse
    8597 Sandvicensissterna sandvicensissandwich tern
    8598 Tetrixtetrao tetrixblack grouse
    8599 Ripariariparia ripariasand martin
    8600 Arundinaceusacrocephalus arundinaceusgreat reed warbler
    8601 Ciconiaciconia ciconiawhite stork
    8602 Oedicnemusburhinus oedicnemusstone curlew
    8603 Senatorlanius senatorwoodchat shrike
    8750 Nettarufinanetta rufinared-crested pochard
    8751 Nigricollispodiceps nigricollisblack-necked grebe
    8752 Flammeusasio flammeusshort-eared owl
    8753 Nycticoraxnycticorax nycticoraxblack-crowned night heron
    8754 Leucorodiaplatalea leucorodiaspoonbill
    8755 Querquedulaanas querquedulagarganey
    8756 Mollissimasomateria mollissimacommon eider
    8757 Cyaneuscircus cyaneushen harrier
    8758 Perdixperdix perdixgrey partridge
    8759 PorzanaPorzana crakes
    8760 Crexcrex crexcorncrake
    8761 CraneGrus cranes
    8762 Hiaticulacharadrius hiaticularinged plover
    8763 Pugnaxhilonachus pugnaxruff
    8764 GallinagoGallinago snipe
    8765 LimosaLimosa godwits
    8767 Commonterncommon tern
    8768 Barnowlbarn owl
    8769 ArcticternArctic tern
    8770 Totanustringa totanuscommon redshank
    8771 Biarmicuspanurus biarmicusbearded tit
    8773 Torquillajynx torquillawryneck
    8774 Viridispicus viridisgreen woodpecker
    8959 Oenantheoenanthe oenanthewheatear
    8960 Luscinioideslocustella luscinioidesSavi's warbler
    8961 Schoenobaenusacrocephalus schoenobaenussedge warbler
    8962 Noctuaathene noctualittle owl
    8963 Colluriolanius colluriored-backed shrike
    8964 Coraxcorvus coraxraven
    8965 Citrinellaemberiza citrinellayellowhammer
    8966 Hortulanaemberiza hortulanaortolan bunting
    8967 Calandramiliaria calandracorn bunting
    8968 Europaeuscaprimulgus europaeusnightjar
    8969 Alexandrinuscharadrius alexandrinusKentish plover
    8970 Islandicabucephala islandicaBarrow's goldeneye
    8971 Leucocephalacxyura leucocephalawhite-headed duck
    8972 Sylvaticaturnix sylvaticaAndalusian hemipode
    8973 Pratincolaglareola pratincolawading bird, or collared pratincole
    8974 Gregariachettusia gregariasociable plover
    8975 Atthisalcedo atthiskingfisher
    8976 Leucuraoenanthe leucurablack wheatear
    8977 Paludicolaacrocephalus paludicolaaquatic warbler
    8978 Barbatusgypaetus barbatuslammergeier
    8979 Clangaaquila clangagreater spotted eagle
    8980 Heliacaaquila heliacaimperial eagle
    9879 MammuthusMammuthus woolly mammoth
    9880 StegosaurusStegosaurus stegosaurus
    9937 TriceratopsTriceratops triceratops
    9941 IguanodonIguanodon iguanodon
    9949 BrontosaurusBrontosaurus brontosaurus
    9951 TyrannosaurusTyrannosaurus tyrannosaurus
    9954 BrachiosaurusBrachiosaurus brachiosaurus
    16794 CuculliaCucullia asteroidesCucullia, North American Asteroid Moth
    263251 PandabearAiluropoda melanoleucaGiant panda or panda bear
    361267 ʻIʻiwiʻIʻiwi scarlet honeycreeper
    374710 ʻOʻoʻOʻo Hawaiian endemic birds
    378002 ʻAkialoaAkialoaHawaiian honeycreeper
    388282 ʻAkepaHawaiʻi ʻakepaʻAkepa; Hawaiian forest birds

    Plants

    Minor planetName MeaningCommon namesCrossRefs
    759 ViniferaVitis vinifera common grape vine
    935 CliviaClivia natal lily or bush lily
    943 BegoniaBegonia begonia
    957 CameliaCamellia
    • cháhuā in Chinese, meaning tea flower
    • tsubaki in Japanese
    • dongbaek-kkot in Korean
    • hoa trà or hoa chè in Vietnamese
    968 PetuniaPetunia
    970 PrimulaPrimula primrose
    973 AraliaAralia spikenard
    1054 ForsytiaForsythia forsythia
    1056 AzaleaAzaleaazalea, flowering shrubs in the genus Rhododendron
    1060 MagnoliaMagnolia magnolia
    1061 PaeoniaPaeonia peony
    1063 AquilegiaAquilegia granny's bonnet or columbine
    1064 AethusaAethusa
  • fool's parsley
  • fool's cicely
  • poison parsley
  • 1066 LobeliaLobelia lobelia
    1067 LunariaLunaria honesty
    1070 TunicaTunica or Petrorhagia
    1072 MalvaMalva mallow
    1076 ViolaViola
  • violets
  • pansies
  • violas
  • 1077 CampanulaCampanula bellflower
    1078 MenthaMentha mint
    1079 MimosaMimosa mimosa
    1080 OrchisOrchis genus in the orchid family
    1081 ResedaReseda
  • mignonette
  • weld
  • dyer's rocket
  • bastard rocket
  • 1082 PirolaPirola or Pyrola wintergreen
    1083 SalviaSalvia sage
    1085 AmaryllisAmaryllis amaryllis
    1087 ArabisArabis rockcress
    1091 SpiraeaSpiraea
    1092 LiliumLilium lily
    1095 TulipaTulipa tulip
    1097 ViciaVicia vetches
    1100 ArnicaArnica
    1101 ClematisClematis
  • clematis in English,
  • traveller's joy for C. vitalba, by the herbalist John Gerard
  • virgin's bower for C. viticella
  • old man's beard, applied to several with prominent seedheads
  • leather flower for those with fleshy petals
  • vase vine for C. viorna.
  • 1104 SyringaSyringa lilac
    1105 FragariaFragaria strawberry
    1106 CydoniaCydonia quince
    1218 AsterAster aster
    1220 CrocusCrocus crocus
    1227 GeraniumGeranium cranesbills
    1228 ScabiosaScabiosa
  • scabious
  • pincushion flowers
  • 1231 AuriculaPrimula auricula
  • auricula
  • mountain cowslip
  • bear's ear
  • 1232 CortusaCortusa
    1233 KobresiaKobresia bog sedges
    1234 ElynaElyna
    1250 GalanthusGalanthus snowdrop
    1251 HederaHedera ivy
    1270 DaturaDatura
  • devil's trumpets
  • moonflowers
  • jimsonweed
  • devil's weed
  • hell's bells
  • thorn-apple
  • 1318 NerinaNerine nerine
    1319 DisaDisa the orchid genus
    6786 Doudantsutsujidoudan-tsutsuji, the Japanese name for Enkianthus perulatus, an ericaceous deciduous shrub
    8644 Betulapendulabetula pendulasilver birch
    8647 PopulusPopulus poplar, aspen, and cottonwood
    8648 SalixSalix willow
    8649 JuglansJuglans walnut trees
    8652 AcaciaAcacia mimosa
    8656 CupressusCupressus cypress
    8657 CedrusCedrus cedar
    8833 AcerAceraceae maple family, now family Sapindaceae
    8834 AnacardiumAnacardiaceae cashew family
    8835 AnnonaAnnonaceae custard apple family
    8836 AquifoliumAquifoliaceae ilex or holly family
    8850 BignoniaBignoniaceae catalpa or bignonia family
    8852 BuxusBuxaceae box family
    8856 CelastrusCelastraceae staff vine or bittersweet family
    8857 CercidiphyllumCercidiphyllaceae katsura family
    8858 CornusCornaceae
    8872 EbenumEbenaceae ebony and persimmon family
    8886 ElaeagnusElaeagnaceae oleaster family
    9019 EucommiaEucommiaceae hard rubber tree, Gutta-percha tree or Chinese rubber tree family
    9020 EucryphiaEucryphiaceae or Cunoniaceae
    9021 FagusFagaceae beeches and oaks family
    9040 FlacourtiaFlacourtiaceae
    9053 HamamelisHamamelidaceae witch-hazel family
    9054 HippocastanumHippocastanaceae
    9203 MyrtusMyrtaceae myrtle family
    9306 PittosporumPittosporaceae
    9309 PlatanusPlatanaceae
    9313 ProteaProteaceae
    9316 RhamnusRhamnaceae buckthorn family
    9326 RutaRutaceae rue or citrus family
    16598 BrugmansiaBrugmansia angel's trumpets
    22494 Trilliumtrillium grandiflorumwhite trillium
    22280 MandragoraMandragora mandrake
    66583 NicandraNicandra
  • apple-of-Peru
  • shoo-fly plant
  • 85197 Ginkgoginkgo biloba
  • ginkgo tree
  • maidenhair tree
  • 151997 Bauhiniabauhinia × blakeanaHong Kong Orchid Tree
    255587 GardeniaGardenia