5756 Wassenbergh

5756 Wassenbergh (6034 P-L) is a main-belt asteroid discovered on September 24, 1960 by Cornelis Johannes van Houten, Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld and Tom Gehrels at Palomar Observatory.^[1]

Designation

In due course, this minor irregularly-shaped planetary body was named for Henri Wassenbergh, who was Professor of Air and Space Law at University of Leiden in the Netherlands from 1977 through 1994. The permanent designation was suggested by Prof. Wassenbergh's secretary and his colleagues at Leiden; and the announcement of this name was timed to coincide with his valedictory address at the university.^[1] He had been Professor Extraordinarius of Air and Space Law at Leiden since 1977, and Professor Ordinarius since 1991.^[2]

Namesake

Wassenbergh, known to his friends and colleagues as "Or" Wassenbergh, is a Dutch academic and for many years, he was an official of Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM).^[1] Since 1967, he had been a member of the Air Transport Commission of the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris. Wassenbergh also participated in the European Centre for Space Law (ECSL) of the European Space Agency (ESA), the International Institute of Space Law of the International Astronautical Federation, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Air Policy Advisory Group, the Société Française de Droit Aérien, the Netherlands branch of the Legal Committee of the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the Netherlands Interdepartmental Committee on Civil Aviation.^[2] In this context, the title of one of his books seems prescient -- Principles of Outer Space Law in Hindsight.^[3]

See also

• List of astronomical objects named after people
• List of asteroids named after important people

Notes

References

• Masson-Zwaan, Tanja L. and Pablo Mendes de Leon. (1992). 'Air and Space Law: De Lege Ferenda : Essays in Honour of Henri A. Wassenbergh. Dordrecht: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. 10-ISBN 0-7923-1626-6; 13-ISBN 978-0-7923-1626-8; OCLC 25874461
• Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names: Prepared on Behalf of Commission 20 Under the Auspices of the International Astronomical Union. Berlin: Springer. 10-ISBN 3-540-00238-3; 10-ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3; OCLC 52152288
• Wassenbergh, Henri A. (1991). Principles of Outer Space Law in Hindsight. Dordrecht: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. 10-ISBN 0-7923-1350-X; 13-ISBN 978-0-7923-1350-2

External links

• JPL Small-Body Database Browser on 5756 Wassenbergh