Named in honor of Bian Depei (b. 1926), popularizer of science and astronomy in the People's Republic of China. He has published more than 60 books, many winning national prizes, and nearly 800 articles. He played an important role in establishing the Beijing Planetarium in 1954 and launching Amateur Astronomer magazine in 1958, both the first of their kind in China. Name proposed by the discoverers following a suggestion by A. Fujii and T. Sato.