Dr Johannes Andersen, who has served as General Secretary of the IAU from 1997 to 2000, has also been honoured with an asteroid to be called 'Johannes'. More details of the asteroids are given in the citation notes below. Asteroids are named by their discoverers and all six of these were discovered by Dr Edward Bowell of the Lowell Observatory. Originally, asteroids were named after female deities, but the supply of such names ran out in the 19th century. Under the procedures of the IAU, discoverers submit names for asteroids to Dr Brian G. Marsden, Director of the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Asteroids are eligible for naming when they have been numbered.
Then, when the asteroid's orbit has been sufficiently well determined that its position can be very accurately predicted for many decades, it can be numbered. There are rules for the acceptability of names. They must not be too similar to existing names. IAU Commission 20, which deals with the motions of asteroids and comets, along with their discovery, is always seeking suggestions for asteroid names. In particular, asteroid discoverers lose their right to name their discoveries when 10 years have passed from the date of numbering.