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Independently discovered 1916 Apr. 28 by M. F. Wolf at Heidelberg.

Named in honor of the American astronomer Simon Newcomb (1835–1909), professor of astronomy and director of the U.S. Nautical Almanac Office. Newcomb worked on cometary and planetary orbits and on the theory of the orbit of the Earth. He measured the velocity of light and determined the astronomical unit anew. (H 84)

Newcomb is also honored by craters on the Moon and on Mars, respectively.