Named in honour of Harry van der Laan (b. 1936), who earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1960 at the University of Western Ontario (now Western University) in London, Ontario, and was Associate Professor of Astronomy there from 1964 to 1967. Then he was professor of astronomy at Leiden Observatory and well-known for his work on radio radiation of gaseous nebulae. He is especially honoured for his activity in securing the Dutch participation in the Observatorio de Roque de los Muchachos at La Palma, Canary Islands. Van der Laan served as Director of the European Southern Observatory from 1987 to 1992

ESO's official personal profile of van der Laan is here.

Orbit Type: Main Belt

Reference: MPC 10043