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Cupressus is the scientific name for a family of trees - the Cypress.
Main belt asteroid 8656 Cupressus was discovered on August 16, 1990 by Belgian astronomer Eric Walter Elst at the La Silla Observatory in Chile, which is part of the European Southern Observatory.
The asteroid represents the entire Cypress family. While there are literally millions of cypress trees around the world, there is only one that can claim world fame, the 250 year-old Lone Cypress at the California Pacific coast - the most photographed single tree in the world. |