The asteroids "Okunoto" and "Shizuoka," whose names were proposed and discovered by Professor Yuichi Yatsuyanagi of Institute of Liberal Arts and Science, Kanazawa University, have been officially recognized by the Working Group on Small Bodies Nomenclature (WGSBN), a subsidiary of the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
These asteroids were discovered through the analysis work of the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) (*1), an educational outreach program in which Professor Yatsuyanagi participated with three students in 2007, when he was affiliated with the Faculty of Education at Shizuoka University. IASC is an international citizen science project in which students and members of the general public search for asteroids using the same observational data as professional astronomers. More than 50,000 people from around the world have participated, and over 12,000 asteroids have been discovered to date.
After analyzing the observation data obtained in the 2007 program, the students discovered two asteroids, provisionally designated "2007 TO15" and "2007 TS70", respectively. After that, follow-up observations and reviews continued to determine the orbit, and it took 17 years to finalize it. In April 2024, IASC notified Professor Yatsuyanagi that it had been granted naming rights, and with the cooperation of the Shizuoka University Faculty of Education, the three students who discovered the asteroids at that time proposed the names "Okunoto" and "Shizuoka.
The names were discussed by the IAU Small Object Naming Committee, and "Shizuoka" and "Okunoto" were officially approved in September 2024 and November 2025, respectively. After the approval, "Okunoto" was introduced on X (formerly Twitter) by the Ishikawa Yanagida Star Observatory "Mantenboshi" in Noto Town, and has received positive feedback from the local community.
While starry skies are being lost in urban areas due to light pollution, the beautiful night sky of Okunoto is a valuable tourist resource, and it is hoped that this naming will contribute to promoting local tourism and preserving dark skies.
Orbit map of 2007 TS70(Shizuoka) prepared by IASC (at the time of discovery in 2007)
【Glossary】
*1 Educational outreach program IASC (International Astronomical Search Collaboration)
An educational outreach program initiated by Professor J. Patrick Miller, Hardin-Simmons University (Texas, USA) in 2006. As of 2024, more than 50,000 people from 96 countries have participated, and more than 12,000 new asteroids have been discovered. Currently, the headquarters functions have moved to Cisco College following the transfer of Professor Miller. Those who wish to participate can apply for free through the web page, but the program has grown in popularity and there is sometimes a waiting list of several months before participation.
Click here to see the press release【Japanese only】
Researcher Information : Yuichi Yatsuyanagi
Related Information
Institute of Liberal Arts and Science, Kanazawa University
Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University
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