{"id":99079,"date":"2019-06-28T14:19:46","date_gmt":"2019-06-29T00:19:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=99079"},"modified":"2019-06-28T15:27:46","modified_gmt":"2019-06-29T01:27:46","slug":"iau-adopts-asteroids-hawaiian-names","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2019\/06\/28\/iau-adopts-asteroids-hawaiian-names\/","title":{"rendered":"International Astronomical Union adopts Hawaiian names for two locally-discovered asteroids"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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A Hua He Inoa program participants display the Hawaiian names of two asteroids.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hawaiian names for two locally discovered asteroids have been announced. The International Astronomical Union<\/a> (IAU<\/abbr>) recently adopted the Hawaiian names Kamoʻoalewa<\/span> and Kaʻepaokaʻāwela<\/span>, which were selected by Hawaiian immersion students during the groundbreaking A Hua He Inoa<\/a> pilot nomenclature project last year.<\/p>\n

The celestial discoveries represent the second and third indigenous names accepted by the organization following ʻOumuamua<\/span>, named in 2017. Kamoʻoalewa<\/span> is sourced from the kumulipo, and alludes to a celestial object that is oscillating, reflecting the asteroid\u2019s path in the sky when viewed from Earth. Kaʻepaokaʻāwela<\/span> means “the mischievous opposite-moving companion of Jupiter,” evoking the image of a retrograde object of unknown origin.<\/p>\n

“It is exciting to see the Hawaiian language and cultural practices elevated on a global stage with the official recording of Kamoʻoalewa<\/span> and Kaʻepaokaʻāwela<\/span>, not to mention the IAU<\/abbr>\u2019s consideration of Pōwehi<\/a> for the incredible black hole discovery,” said Kaʻiu<\/span> Kimura<\/strong>, ʻImiloa<\/span> Astronomy Center<\/a> executive director.<\/p>\n

At the A Hua He Inoa pilot program in October 2018, leaders in astronomy and Hawaiian-medium education convened Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island students, cultural practitioners and top research scientists to develop Hawaiian names for the two unusual celestial bodies.<\/p>\n