IAU Names Asteroids After Outgoing General Secretary and His Late Son

In a gesture of special gratitude to Piero Benvenuti, as one of the IAU's longest-serving General Secretaries, the IAU Working Group on Small Body Nomenclature (WGSBN) has named two asteroids after Piero and his late son, Umberto Benvenuti. The announcement was made by Debra Elmegreen in her speech as outgoing IAU President at the closing ceremony of the XXXII IAU General Assembly in Cape Town, South Africa, last week. Symbolically, Debra also noted that the two asteroids were discovered together in the sky.

Piero Benvenuti, an astronomer and professor emeritus at the University of Padua, first served as IAU General Secretary for the triennium 2015-2018. However, in 2023, when José Miguel Rodriguez Espinosa had to step back from the role due to personal circumstances, Piero graciously stepped in as Interim GS. In doing so, he has ensured the smooth running of the organisation for the remainder of the 2021-2024 triennium, which ended with the closing of the XXXII General Assembly last week.

Piero has also played a leading role in protecting dark and quiet skies, an increasingly pressing issue in the age of large satellite constellations. Before stepping in as Interim GS, Piero served as the first Director of the IAU Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference (CPS), which was established in 2022. He will now return to this role, seeking to preserve the skies both for the science of astronomy and as an invaluable part of humanity's cultural heritage.

The IAU Executive Committee (EC) worked with the WGSBN to arrange the two asteroid namings as a way of thanking Piero for going above and beyond in his service to the IAU and astronomy, as well as thanking his wife Beatrice for her support and understanding.

Outgoing IAU President Debra Elmegreen notes: "The Officers wished to honour Piero for his long service to the IAU, especially in returning as Interim General Secretary under exceptional circumstances. Knowing his concern for children who have had difficult and short lives, we felt that an asteroid named for him as well as one named for his deceased son would be appropriate recognitions for his outstanding commitment to the IAU."

Piero Benvenuti says: "I am honoured and deeply moved by the announcements made by Debra that go well beyond a normal word of thanks. Mentioning our late son Umberto signifies the great friendship established among us. Now that Umberto smiles at all of us from higher up in the sky, I wish he will convey love and peace to all, as he did in his family."

The new namings appeared side by side in the latest WGSBN Bulletin, published last week. The citations read as follows:

(5727) Pierobenvenuti = 1988 BB₄
Discovery: 1988-01-19 / H. Debehogne / La Silla / 809
Named in honor of Italian astronomer Piero Benvenuti (b. 1946), in appreciation of his long service to astronomy as the IAU General Secretary (2015-2018) and as Interim GS (2023-2024). He is professor emeritus of the University of Padua. Piero spearheaded the defense of dark and quiet skies for astronomers and as a cultural heritage of humanity.

(5728) Umbertobenvenuti = 1988 BJ₄
Discovery: 1988-01-20 / H. Debehogne / La Silla / 809
Named in memory of Umberto Benvenuti (1989-2005), son of Beatrice and Piero Benvenuti. Umberto loved to explore the galaxy with his brother and best friend Eugenio in their imaginary spacecraft. He gave his family the power to face any difficulty, and helped them appreciate that we are all part of the same universe.

More Information

The IAU is the international astronomical organisation that brings together more than 12 000 active professional astronomers from more than 100 countries worldwide. Its mission is to promote and safeguard astronomy in all its aspects, including research, communication, education and development, through international cooperation. The IAU also serves as the internationally recognised authority for assigning designations to celestial bodies and the surface features on them. Founded in 1919, the IAU is the world's largest professional body for astronomers.

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