次の小惑星、「トリフネ」と命名　はやぶさ２、２６年に通過観測―ＪＡＸＡ

　宇宙航空研究開発機構（ＪＡＸＡ）は２５日、探査機「はやぶさ２」が２０２６年に通過観測（フライバイ）する小惑星「２００１　ＣＣ２１」の名称が、「トリフネ」に決まったと発表した。日本神話に登場する神や、神が乗る船の名でもある「天鳥船（あめのとりふね）」にちなむという。
　ＪＡＸＡは昨年１２月から名称を一般公募。３０８２件の応募の中から、小中学生９人も加わった選定委員会が選んで、国際天文学連合（ＩＡＵ）に提案。ＩＡＵでの審査を経て、２５日までに正式に公表された。
　天鳥船は鳥のように速く、岩のように安定して安全に航行できる船だとされ、はやぶさ２が高速で小惑星とすれ違うフライバイを安全に行えるよう願いを込めたという。（2024/09/25-15:21）

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said Wednesday that the asteroid that its Hayabusa2 probe will fly by for observation in 2026 has been named Torifune.
   According to JAXA, Torifune is an abbreviation of Ame no Torifune, the name of a god in Japanese mythology and also the name of the god's ship, which is said to travel fast like a bird and steadily like a rock. The naming symbolizes a wish for the Hayabusa2 to safely perform the flyby observation at high speed.
   JAXA publicly solicited name suggestions from December last year. A selection committee including nine elementary and junior high school students picked the name out of 3,082 applications and proposed it to the International Astronomical Union.
   Hayabusa2, launched in December 2014, dropped on Earth in December 2020 a capsule containing sand and other samples collected from the asteroid Ryugu. Since then, the main body of the explorer has been on an extended mission, aiming to reach the asteroid 1998 KY26 in July 2031.
   Hayabusa2 is scheduled to approach Torifune in July 2026 to take pictures while traveling at a speed of 5 kilometers per second at close distance.