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Reference.org
Provisional designation in astronomy
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<p>Provisional designation in astronomy is the <a href="/facts/Astronomical_naming_conventions/pecagyQS">naming convention</a> applied to <a href="/facts/Astronomical_object/BCHLa0Q2">astronomical objects</a> immediately following their discovery. The provisional designation is usually superseded by a permanent designation once a reliable orbit has been calculated. Approximately 47% of the more than 1,100,000 known <a href="/facts/Minor_planet/GxoaU532">minor planets</a> remain provisionally designated, as hundreds of thousands have been discovered in the last two decades. </p>