Nomenclature Committee
The Nomenclature Committee is the group of scientists within the Meteoritical Society that approves official meteorite names and classifications.
With thousands of new meteorites recovered each year, someone has to keep names unique and classifications reliable. That job belongs to the Nomenclature Committee, often shortened to NomCom, a committee of the Meteoritical Society made up of volunteer meteorite scientists. It publishes rules for naming meteorites, reviews submissions from researchers and votes on whether to approve them.
To be approved, a submission must include an adequate description and classification, plus details of where and when the meteorite was found or fell. A portion of the meteorite, the type specimen, must be deposited in a recognised research collection, normally at least 20 grams or 20 per cent of the total mass, whichever is smaller, so others can study it later. The committee also defines dense collection areas, sets their naming systems, and can reject names that duplicate others or do not follow the rules.
The committee's decisions are published in the Meteoritical Bulletin. When the Winchcombe meteorite fell in England in 2021, its name and CM2 classification became official only once they had been approved. Legally, approval says nothing about ownership: who may keep or export a meteorite depends on local laws.
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