Two Asteroids Named After Uzbek Astronomers

Two Asteroids Honor Uzbek Astronomers

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has officially named two minor planets after Kamoliddin Ergashev and Otabek Burkhonov, both researchers at the Institute of Astronomy of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, as announced by the country's Academy of Sciences.

This decision was made public on July 9, 2026, by the Working Group for Small Bodies Nomenclature (WGSBN) of the IAU and was featured in the 11th issue of the sixth volume of the organization's official bulletin.

The asteroids are now officially cataloged in international astronomical records as (131358) Kamolergashev and (121339) Otabekburkhonov.

Asteroid (131358), which was previously known by the provisional designation 2001 KA2, was discovered on May 19, 2001, by Czech astronomers at the Ondrejov Observatory. It has been named in honor of Kamoliddin Ergashev, a senior researcher at the Institute of Astronomy.

The WGSBN citation highlights that Ergashev has been engaged in asteroid research since 2007 and earned his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 2024. His research interests include asteroid photometry, light curve analysis, the physical characteristics of small Solar System bodies, and the study of asteroid pairs, clusters, and binary systems.

Asteroid (121339), which was previously designated as 1999 TO15, was discovered on October 13, 1999, also by Czech astronomers. This asteroid is named after Otabek Burkhonov, who is the head of a laboratory at the Mirzo Ulugbek Institute of Astronomy.

The official description states that Burkhonov has been with the institute since 2000 and received his Candidate of Sciences degree in 2005. His research focuses on optical photometry, the analysis of asteroid light curves, variable stars, gravitationally lensed quasars, and optical follow-up observations of gamma-ray bursts at the Maidanak Observatory.

The Academy of Sciences noted that naming asteroids after scientists serves as a form of international acknowledgment of their contributions to science. The approved names are part of the official international astronomical nomenclature and are utilized in scientific publications, catalogs, and ephemerides.

Both Kamoliddin Ergashev and Otabek Burkhonov were previously awarded the NASA Group Achievement Award for their involvement in a planetary defense initiative.

Additionally, the Academy reminded that in 2012, the IAU named asteroid number 22948 "Maidanak" to honor one of Uzbekistan's leading astronomical observatories.

According to the IAU, not every discovered asteroid is given a name. For an object to be named, it must have a reliably determined orbit and a permanent number, after which the proposed name goes through a review and approval process by the WGSBN. Currently, around 26,400 minor planets have been assigned official names.