Several asteroids or minor planets in the asteroid belt with Gotland-related names have been discovered and named by Swedish astronomer Claes-Ingvar Lagerkvist. Others have been named during courses of the Uppsala-ESO Survey of Asteroids and Comets at the European Southern Observatory and have not been credited to a single discoverer, but rather collective work.
, 175,658 asteroids have been numbered and almost 14,300 of those have been named. 205 have been named after places, persons or fictional figures in Sweden. A portion of these are from the island of Gotland. Gotland is fairly well represented because Lagerkvist has been a summer resident on the island since 1983.
The first asteroid to receive a Gotland-related name was 3250 Martebo in 1979, named after a settlement on the island. For the latest naming, a competition hosted by the Swedish Astronomical Society was held in Visby in 2011. The asteroid was named 137052 Tjelvar after Tjelvar, the mythological first man to bring fire to the island, thereby breaking the spell that caused Gotland to sink beneath the waves every day and rise during the night.
The suggested names are submitted to the International Astronomical Union (IAU) for inspection before they are approved. IAU want to keep the number of "troublesome" names to a minimum. Nevertheless, the name 7545 Smaklösa ("Tasteless" or "Tacky") after a Gotlandish music group, passed inspection. According to Lagerkvist: "I don't think they knew what the word meant in Swedish."
The names of the asteroids along with a description of what or who they were named after are entered into the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Small-Body Database Browser. A number of the various places on Gotland described there are sockens but referred to as parishes; a common practice since most non-Swedes are unaware of the regional distribution in Sweden and parish is the closest form to describe them. On 1January 2016, the sockens were reconstituted into the administrative areas Districts.
This list is probably incomplete since more asteroids are named frequently.
Asteroids Asteroid nameNamed afterImageRef11533 AkebäckAkebäck, a settlement and District on Gotland10130 ArdreArdre, a settlement and District on Gotland10795 BabbenBabben Larsson, stand-up comedy actress born in Dalhem, voted the funniest woman in Sweden10128 BroBro, a settlement, village and a District on Gotland8681 BursBurs, a settlement, village and District on Gotland8678 BälBäl, a settlement and District on Gotland10102 DigerhuvudDigerhuvud, a stack area on the Fårö island coast, just off the coast of Gotland10808 DigerrojrDigerrojr, one of the largest cairns on Gotland, situated in Garde10123 FideöjaFide, a settlement and District on Gotland and the neighboring Öja, a settlement and District on Gotland9359 FleringeFleringe, a settlement and District on Gotland10129 FoleFole, a settlement, village and District on Gotland10127 FröjelFröjel, a settlement, District and formation on Gotland9358 FåröFårö, an island, settlement and District off the coast of Gotland10814 GnisvärdGnisvärd, a fishing village on Gotland10812 GrötlingboGrötlingbo, a settlement and District on Gotland9373 HamraHamra, a settlement, District and formation on Gotland10124 HemseHemse, a village, locality, District and formation on Gotland10104 HoburgsgubbenHoburgsgubben, a stack in Hoburgen on Gotland10105 HolmhällarHolmhällar, a stack area in Vamlingbo on Gotland10544 HörsnebaraHörsne-Bara, a settlement and District on Gotland10103 JungfrunJungfrun, the largest stack on Gotland, located in Lickershamn8682 KräklingboKräklingbo, a settlement, village and District on Gotland10545 KällungeKällunge, a settlement and District on Gotland10811 LauLau, Gotland, a settlement, village and District on Gotland10810 LejsturojrLejstu rojr, one of the largest cairns on Gotland, situated in Rone10106 LergravLergrav, a fishing village and stack area in Rute on Gotland9267 LokrumeLokrume, a settlement, village and District on Gotland10132 LummelundaLummelunda, a settlement and District on Gotland10126 LärbroLärbro, a village, locality and District on Gotland10809 MajsterrojrMajsterrojr, one of the largest cairns on Gotland, located in Gothem3250 MarteboMartebo, a settlement, village and District on Gotland10813 MästerbyMästerby, a settlement, village and District on Gotland8680 RoneRone, a settlement, village and District on Gotland7545 SmaklösaSmaklösa, Gotlandic music group with their own museum in Västergarn10553 StenkumlaStenkumla, a settlement, village and District on Gotland10125 StenkyrkaStenkyrka, a settlement and District on Gotland10131 StångaStånga, a village, locality and District on Gotland9374 SundreSundre, a settlement, village, District and formation on Gotland8679 TingstädeTingstäde, a settlement, village and District on Gotland137052 TjelvarTjelvar, the mythological first man on Gotland11308 ToftaTofta, a village, locality, District and formation on Gotland10807 UggardeUggarde rojr, the largest cairn on Gotland, located in Rone9372 VamlingboVamlingbo, a settlement, village and District on Gotland6102 VisbyVisby, a town or locality, District and the seat of Gotland Municipality10794 VängeVänge, a settlement, village and District on Gotland10554 VästerhejdeVästerhejde, a settlement, village and District on Gotland12312 VäteVäte, a settlement and District on Gotland10815 ÖstergarnÖstergarn, a settlement and District on Gotland
References