Minor-planet designation

Minor-planet designation is a way of naming discoveries made in space. When scientists look through a telescope, they sometimes find new objects that are neither stars nor planets. These objects are called minor planets, and they include asteroids and comets. When a minor planet is discovered, it gets a special "designation", which is like a name.

The designation is made up of two parts: a number and a name. The number tells us how many of these objects have been discovered. For example, if the number is 4, then it would be the fourth minor planet ever discovered. The name usually comes from the discoverer or something related to the minor planet, like its location in the sky or a constellation.

Minor-planet designations help us to keep track of all the interesting things we find in outer space. Every discovery is special and can teach us something new about the universe!