(8766) Niger

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( 8766 ) Niger is one of the outer main belt asteroid, which was discovered on 29 September 1973 by the Dutch astronomer Cornelis Johannes van Houten couple and Ingrid van Houten - Groeneveld. The discovery happened during the 2nd Trojan survey, in which the 120 - cm Oschin Schmidt telescope at Palomar Observatory recorded by Tom Gehrels field plates at Leiden University were screened, 13 years after the beginning of the Palomar - Leiden Surveys. An unconfirmed sighting of the asteroids had already given on 26 October 1968 with the provisional designation 1968 UG3 at the Crimean Observatory in Nautschnyj.

( 8766 ) Niger is named after the black tern, whose scientific name is Chlidonias niger. At the time of designation of the asteroid on February 2, 1999, the Black Tern was at the Dutch Red List of Threatened Birds. Niger Vallis, however, a valley on Mars, named after the River Niger in 1991.