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Main belt asteroid No. 274301 named Wikipedia
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January 31, 2013
Original URL: http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Main_belt_asteroid_No._274301_named_Wikipedia



A main belt asteroid, No. 274301, has been named after Wikipedia, a free
encyclopedia.<!--mpc_82403--> The information became available on the
Minor Planet Center's website yesterday.<!--circ--><!--alph--> 

The decision of the Committee for Small Body Nomenclature to assign the
name "Wikipedia" to the asteroid was published in the Minor Planet
Circular of January 27, published online yesterday, page
82403.<!--mpc_82403--> Wikimedia Ukraine board member Andriy Makukha
proposed the name. It was submitted to the Committee by the head<!-- and
owner--> of the Andrushivka Astronomical Observatory in Ukraine, Yuri
Ivashchenko.<!--regio-->

The official dedication of the name says:<!--mpc_82403--><!--circ-->

The asteroid 274301 Wikipedia was discovered by the team of astronomers
of Andrushivka Astronomical Observatory. At first it was observed by
that team on August 25, 2008 at 22:47 (UTC).<!--mpc_page--> It was also
observed on the next night and two weeks later on September 6.  It
received provisional designation
'''2008&nbsp;QH<sub>24</sub>'''.<!--mps_255948--> Accurate calculation
of its orbit showed asteroid 2008&nbsp;QH<sub>24</sub> is the same as
1997&nbsp;RO<sub>4</sub> and 2007&nbsp;FK<sub>34</sub>.  The asteroid
had been previously spotted by observatories including Caussols-ODAS in
France, and Mt. Lemmon Survey and Steward Observatory in Arizona,
US.<!--mpc_page--> 

On April 18, 2011 the minor planet received the number
274301.<!--mpc_74684-->

== Sources == 
*  http://regionews.ua/node/79163&nbsp; <!--regio-->
*  http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/NumberedMPs270001.html <!--circ-->
*  http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/MPNames.html <!--alph-->
*  http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=274301 <!--mpc_page-->
*  http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/ECS/MPCArchive/2013/MPC_20130127.pdf <!--mpc_82403-->
*  http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/ECS/MPCArchive/2011/MPC_20110418.pdf <!--mpc_74684-->
*  http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/ECS/MPCArchive/2008/MPS_20080914.pdf <!--mps_255948-->



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