It was discovered on 17 November 1996, by American amateur astronomer Dennis di Cicco at his Sudbury Observatory (817) in Massachusetts, United States.
[1] This minor planet was named in honor of Johnny Horne (born 1953), photo editor for The Fayetteville Observer, a 75,000 circulation daily newspaper in southeastern North Carolina where Horne has worked for three decades.
[2][6] Horne is also a contributing editor for Sky & Telescope magazine and has served as a study leader for the publication's astronomical expeditions to Mexico, Africa, the Caribbean and Iceland.
He regularly reviews amateur astronomy products for Sky and Telescope's test reports.
That Backyard Universe Gallery collection was displayed at the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 40 years after a class visit there had triggered Horne's lifelong interest in astronomy.