Algerian Planetary Scientist Imene Kerraouch Honored with Official Asteroid Naming

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has officially named asteroid (20452) Kerraouch after Algerian planetary scientist Imene Kerraouch. The asteroid, discovered in 1999 by the LINEAR program, now bears her name, making her the first Algerian researcher to receive such an honor. Kerraouch, a McKay fellow at the Lunar and Planetary Institute and a researcher at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, studies astromaterials, chondrites and samples from the Ryugu mission. She said, “Seeing the asteroid (20452) Kerraouch officially named by the IAU is one of the greatest honors of my career.” The naming highlights her contributions to meteoritics and planetary science and is intended to inspire young scientists in Algeria and the broader Arab world.

Kerraouch’s academic path began at the University of Science and Technology, Algiers, continued with a doctorate at the University of Münster in Germany, and includes collaborations with NASA. The IAU’s recognition underscores the growing international presence of Algerian researchers in space science.