(8966) Hortulana

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( 8966 ) hortulana is an asteroid of the outer main belt, which was discovered on 26 March 1971 by the Dutch astronomer Cornelis Johannes van Houten couple and Ingrid van Houten - Groeneveld. The discovery took place within the first Trojan survey, in which the 120 - cm Oschin Schmidt telescope at Palomar Observatory recorded by Tom Gehrels field plates at Leiden University were screened, eleven years after the beginning of the Palomar - Leiden Surveys. Unconfirmed sightings of the asteroid had been given from the 3rd to February 6th, 1954 under the provisional designation 1954 CJ at the McDonald Observatory in Texas.

( 8966 ) hortulana is named after the Ortolan, a species of bird in the bunting family, whose scientific name Emberiza hortulana is. At the time of designation of the asteroid on February 2, 1999, the Corn Bunting was on the Dutch and European Red List of Threatened Birds.