Named in honor of Alan Sims (1920-1995), a naval officer who moved to Dublin in 1953 and became chairman of the Dublin Astronomy Association. On his retirement in 1983 he moved to Bath, where he took an active part in the William Herschel Society, serving first as secretary and later as vice chairman. He was also editor of the society's bulletin. Historians and librarians around the world corresponded with him, as he answered queries about the Herschels. Named by the discoverers following suggestions by F. Ring and S. Kimura.