An asteroid will bear the name of IAC researcher Tania Le Pivert

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has officially approved the designation of asteroid (20747) Tanialepivert in honour of Tania Le Pivert Jolivet, a postdoctoral researcher at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), recognising her contributions to the study of primitive asteroids. The IAC announced the news on 21 July 2026.

The announcement was made during the international conference Asteroids, Comets, Meteors (ACM 2026), held from 6 to 10 July in the Polish city of Poznań. With this designation, Le Pivert Jolivet becomes the fifth person associated with the Canarian research centre to have an asteroid named after them.

An object discovered in 2000

The object now known as Tanialepivert was detected on 8 January 2000 by the LINEAR project (Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research), operating from Lincoln Laboratory in Socorro, New Mexico, United States. The programme uses ground-based telescopes and electro-optical detectors to search for, observe and catalogue asteroids and comets. Before its official name was approved, the body carried the provisional designation 2000 AM186, according to the newspaper El Día.

The approval appears in the 9 July 2026 bulletin of the International Astronomical Union's Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature (WGSBN), which added 208 new minor planet names, including (20747) Tanialepivert. This committee is the body responsible for assigning official names to minor planets, comets and satellites of minor planets, and for maintaining rigorous, consistent criteria in the nomenclature of small Solar System bodies.

According to information released by the IAC, there are currently more than 26,000 officially named minor planets — a distinction reserved for individuals whose work has made a significant contribution to the advancement of scientific knowledge, space exploration or the popularisation of astronomy.

Tania Le Pivert's research

Le Pivert Jolivet conducts her research at the IAC in the field of small Solar System bodies. Her work focuses on understanding the composition of so-called primitive asteroids, a line of inquiry aimed at deepening knowledge of the origin and evolution of the Solar System.

She analyses the composition of these objects by studying spectra in the visible and infrared ranges obtained from both ground-based and space telescopes. Her work also includes laboratory analysis of asteroid samples returned to Earth by space missions. This combination allows her to compare remotely gathered data with the physical composition of the samples.

"It is a great honour to receive this recognition at the ACM gala dinner. In an academic environment full of pressure and self-doubt, it is truly gratifying to be acknowledged by the scientific community. This is a real source of motivation to keep doing research," said Le Pivert Jolivet.

Other names linked to the IAC

The designation of (20747) Tanialepivert joins other honours previously awarded to researchers associated with the IAC. Earlier recipients include Julia de León, with asteroid (8324) Juliadeleón; Javier A. Licandro, with (17919) Licandro; Miquel Serra-Ricart, with (549151) Serra-Ricart; and Eri Tatsumi, with asteroid (41002) Tatsumi.

According to the IAC, this latest recognition highlights the centre's contribution to the study of small Solar System bodies and reinforces the international standing of its researchers in this field.