# Naoto Satō

Minor planets discovered: 142 :
* see § Discoveries of minor planets
Naoto Satō (佐藤 直人, Satō Naoto, born 1953) is a Japanese amateur astronomer, discoverer of minor planets, and, by profession, a junior high school science teacher. As a planetarian, a member of the professional staff of a planetarium, he has done much for the spread of astronomy in Japan through speaking on planetaria and the results of astronomical observation.
In 2001, while working as support staff at JK1ZAM, the club station of Iruma Children’s Center (an educational institution for children in Iruma City), he helped achieve the first ARISS school contact in Japan. Also, in 2003, as a coordinating teacher, he helped accomplish the first solo contact between a junior high school in Japan and the ISS, with the support of JK1ZAM. He regularly spoke on the astronomical talk program Sunset Café at the local radio station "FM CHAPPY 77.7" from December 2006 to November 2008. He held the position of vice-director on the board of the Saitama Planetarium Liaison Council (2007–2008). He supports ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station), which is a program that offers students an opportunity to experience the excitement of amateur radio by talking directly with crew members of the ISS (International Space Station).
The Eos main-belt asteroid 6025 Naotosato, which Takeshi Urata discovered in 1992, was named after him.

## Discoveries of minor planets

Since 1995, Satō has discovered a large number of minor planets from his own Chichibu Astronomical Observatory at Chichibu, including asteroids such as 7038 Tokorozawa, 7851 Azumino, 8581 Johnen, 8924 Iruma, 9418 Mayumi and 118230 Sado. He is ranked among the top 50 asteroid discoverers in the world (The Astronomy Yearbook – 2008). The Minor Planet Center credits him with the discovery of 142 minor planets during 1995–1998, of which 18 were co-discoveries with astronomer Takeshi Urata (also see table). Naoto Satō is also known for the prediscovery of C/1989 Y2, a parabolic comet credited to McKenzie–Russell.

### List

| 7038 Tokorozawa | 22 February 1995 | list |
| 7851 Azumino | 29 December 1996 | list |
| 8581 Johnen | 28 December 1996 | list |
| 8924 Iruma | 14 December 1996 | list |
| 8933 Kurobe | 6 January 1997 | list |
| 9230 Yasuda | 29 December 1996 | list |
| 9418 Mayumi | 18 November 1995 | list |
| 10224 Hisashi | 26 October 1997 | list |
| 10880 Kaguya | 6 November 1996 | list |
| 10916 Okina-Ouna | 31 December 1997 | list |
| (11114) 1995 WV$_5$ | 16 November 1995 | list |
| (11607) 1995 WX$_1$ | 16 November 1995 | list |
| 12027 Masaakitanaka | 3 January 1997 | list |
| 12031 Kobaton | 30 January 1997 | list |
| 12432 Usuda | 12 January 1996 | list |
| 12456 Genichiaraki | 2 January 1997 | list |
| 12460 Mando | 3 January 1997 | list |
| 12469 Katsuura | 9 January 1997 | list |
| 13188 Okinawa | 3 January 1997 | list |
| 13654 Masuda | 9 February 1997 | list |
| (13694) 1997 WW$_7$ | 23 November 1997 | list |
| 15884 Maspalomas | 27 February 1997 | list |
| 15916 Shigeoyamada | 25 October 1997 | list |
| (16716) 1995 UX$_6$ | 21 October 1995 | list |
| 16723 Fumiofuke | 27 November 1995 | list |
| 16790 Yuuzou | 2 January 1997 | list |
| 16796 Shinji | 6 February 1997 | list |
| 16826 Daisuke | 19 November 1997 | list |
| 16853 Masafumi | 21 December 1997 | list |
| 17612 Whiteknight | 20 October 1995 | list |
| 17656 Hayabusa | 6 November 1996 | list |
| 17657 Himawari | 6 November 1996 | list |
| (17666) 1996 XR | 1 December 1996 | list |
| 18469 Hakodate | 20 October 1995 | list |
| (18488) 1996 AY$_3$ | 13 January 1996 | list |
| 18520 Wolfratshausen | 6 November 1996 | list |
| 18553 Kinkakuji | 6 January 1997 | list |
| 20193 Yakushima | 18 January 1997 | list |
| 21250 Kamikouchi | 17 December 1995 | list |
| 21302 Shirakamisanchi | 1 December 1996 | list |
| 21348 Toyoteru | 1 March 1997 | list |
| 22470 Shirakawa-go | 9 February 1997 | list |
| (23586) 1995 TA$_1$ | 13 October 1995 | list |
| 23628 Ichimura | 8 December 1996 | list |
| (23630) 1996 YA$_3$ | 30 December 1996 | list |
| 23638 Nagano | 6 January 1997 | list |
| 23649 Tohoku | 1 February 1997 | list |
| (23963) 1998 WY$_8$ | 18 November 1998 | list |
| 25302 Niim | 9 December 1998 | list |
| 26223 Enari | 3 December 1997 | list |
| (26224) 1997 XF$_2$ | 3 December 1997 | list |
| (26902) 1995 YR | 17 December 1995 | list |
| 26990 Culbertson | 23 November 1997 | list |
| 26998 Iriso | 25 December 1997 | list |
| 27918 Azusagawa | 6 November 1996 | list |
| 27982 Atsushimiyazaki | 26 October 1997 | list |
| 27991 Koheijimiura | 6 November 1997 | list |
| 27997 Bandos | 23 November 1997 | list |
| 28173 Hisakichi | 11 November 1998 | list |
| 28174 Harue | 12 November 1998 | list |
| 29420 Ikuo | 9 January 1997 | list |
| (29421) 1997 AV$_{18}$ | 9 January 1997 | list |
| 29514 Karatsu | 25 December 1997 | list |
| (29644) 1998 VA$_{33}$ | 11 November 1998 | list |
| (31075) 1996 XV | 1 December 1996 | list |
| (31083) 1996 XE$_{32}$ | 14 December 1996 | list |
| (31084) 1996 YX$_2$ | 29 December 1996 | list |
| 31087 Oirase | 9 January 1997 | list |
| 31095 Buneiou | 27 February 1997 | list |
| 31179 Gongju | 21 December 1997 | list |
| (31199) 1998 AK$_3$ | 5 January 1998 | list |
| (32984) 1996 XX | 1 December 1996 | list |
| 32990 Sayo-hime | 30 December 1996 | list |
| (32998) 1997 CK$_5$ | 1 February 1997 | list |
| (33070) 1997 WY$_7$ | 23 November 1997 | list |
| (33088) 1997 XX$_9$ | 3 December 1997 | list |
| (33096) 1997 YS$_6$ | 25 December 1997 | list |
| (35322) 1997 CX$_{16}$ | 6 February 1997 | list |
| (35400) 1997 YU$_2$ | 21 December 1997 | list |
| (35401) 1997 YW$_2$ | 21 December 1997 | list |
| (37743) 1996 XQ | 1 December 1996 | list |
| (37746) 1996 XD$_{32}$ | 14 December 1996 | list |
| (39818) 1997 YR$_4$ | 24 December 1997 | list |
| (43919) 1996 BG$_3$ | 18 January 1996 | list |
| (43949) 1997 AU$_{18}$ | 9 January 1997 | list |
| (44012) 1997 UL$_{22}$ | 26 October 1997 | list |
| (48734) 1997 CZ$_{16}$ | 6 February 1997 | list |
| (52479) 1995 TZ | 13 October 1995 | list |
| (52546) 1996 XW | 1 December 1996 | list |
| (52550) 1996 YB$_3$ | 30 December 1996 | list |
| (52623) 1997 VY$_6$ | 6 November 1997 | list |
| (52629) 1997 WA$_8$ | 23 November 1997 | list |
| (53019) 1998 VW$_{32}$ | 11 November 1998 | list |
| (55883) 1997 WF$_8$ | 23 November 1997 | list |
| (58410) 1995 YS | 17 December 1995 | list |
| (58613) 1997 UN$_7$ | 25 October 1997 | list |
| (58614) 1997 UO$_7$ | 25 October 1997 | list |
| (58619) 1997 UF$_{22}$ | 26 October 1997 | list |
| (58620) 1997 UG$_{22}$ | 26 October 1997 | list |
| (58662) 1997 XJ$_2$ | 3 December 1997 | list |
| (58667) 1997 YS$_2$ | 21 December 1997 | list |
| (65838) 1996 XD$_{26}$ | 8 December 1996 | list |
| (69411) 1995 UR$_8$ | 21 October 1995 | list |
| (69482) 1996 XC$_{26}$ | 8 December 1996 | list |
| (69486) 1997 AM$_1$ | 2 January 1997 | list |
| (69490) 1997 AE$_5$ | 3 January 1997 | list |
| (69562) 1997 YU$_6$ | 25 December 1997 | list |
| (73867) 1997 AH$_1$ | 2 January 1997 | list |
| (73968) 1997 YQ$_4$ | 24 December 1997 | list |
| (90880) 1996 WZ$_2$ | 30 November 1996 | list |
| (90883) 1996 XB$_{26}$ | 8 December 1996 | list |
| (90951) 1997 VX$_6$ | 6 November 1997 | list |
| (90955) 1997 WB$_2$ | 19 November 1997 | list |
| (90982) 1997 XE$_2$ | 3 December 1997 | list |
| (96319) 1997 CL$_5$ | 1 February 1997 | list |
| (96321) 1997 CW$_{16}$ | 6 February 1997 | list |
| (96368) 1997 XH$_2$ | 3 December 1997 | list |
| (96369) 1997 XM$_2$ | 3 December 1997 | list |
| (96372) 1997 YP$_4$ | 24 December 1997 | list |
| (100389) 1995 WU$_8$ | 24 November 1995 | list |
| (100499) 1996 XP | 1 December 1996 | list |
| (100689) 1997 YW$_6$ | 25 December 1997 | list |
| (100703) 1998 AL$_3$ | 5 January 1998 | list |
| (101431) 1998 VX$_{32}$ | 11 November 1998 | list |
| 118230 Sado | 30 November 1996 | list |
| (120665) 1996 XT | 1 December 1996 | list |
| 120741 Iijimayuichi | 26 October 1997 | list |
| (120974) 1998 WW$_8$ | 18 November 1998 | list |
| (129600) 1997 WZ$_1$ | 19 November 1997 | list |
| 136743 Echigo | 16 November 1995 | list |
| (136790) 1996 YV$_2$ | 29 December 1996 | list |
| (160025) 1996 XS | 1 December 1996 | list |
| (162144) 1998 VZ$_{32}$ | 11 November 1998 | list |
| (164696) 1997 WB$_8$ | 23 November 1997 | list |
| (175768) 1998 VB$_{33}$ | 11 November 1998 | list |
| (192452) 1997 YQ$_2$ | 21 December 1997 | list |
| (200141) 1997 XZ$_1$ | 3 December 1997 | list |
| (210489) 1997 AB$_{22}$ | 15 January 1997 | list |
| (251709) 1997 AA$_5$ | 2 January 1997 | list |
| (269706) 1997 WX$_7$ | 23 November 1997 | list |
| (297291) 1997 XG$_2$ | 3 December 1997 | list |
| (336762) 2011 AG$_{27}$ | 31 December 1997 | list |
| Co-discovery made with: $^A$ T. Urata |||