Named in honor of Carolyn C. Porco (1953– ), planetary scientist at the University of Arizona. A pioneer in the study of planetary ring systems, Porco has made important contributions to our knowledge of spokes in Saturn’s rings, eccentric ring features in the systems of Saturn and Uranus and the azimuthal structure in the rings of Neptune. Through her contributions to the Voyager project and as the team leader for the Cassini imaging system, Porco has been a leader in spacecraft exploration of the outer solar system. In 1997, she originated the idea of sending a capsule containing ashes of E. M. Shoemaker {see planet  (2074)} to the moon aboard the Lunar Prospector spacecraft. (M 32348; M 32377) _ _.