“Henceforth this object will be known as Asteroid 17473 Freddiemercury”, Queens guitarist Brian May announced on his website.
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Were he still with us, Freddie Mercury would have turned 70 today.
The video announcement was shown on screen at the Freddie Mercury 70th Birthday Party in Montreux, Switzerland on Sunday 4 September 2016.
“In this case, the asteroid in question was discovered in 1991 and was given the provisional designation ‘1991 FM3.’ It has been observed and its position and orbit measured over 1,100 times, and it was given the number 17473”.
The Queen frontman, who sang the famous words, “I’m a shooting star leaping through the sky”, from the song “Don’t Stop Me Now”, was honored by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center. He also listed other characteristics of the asteroid, such as its length (about 2 miles across) and location (in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter). It’s about 3.5km across and it only reflects about a third of the light which falls upon it, so it’s a dark object – it’s like a cinder in space.
The asteroid was first discovered in 1991 – the year Mercury died aged 45 from bronchial pneumonia resulting from Aids.
Issuing the certificate of designation, Joel Parker of the Southwest Research Institute said the asteroid was a celebration for a “charismatic singer”.
Asteroid names are governed by the International Astronomical Union and published by the Minor Planet Center.
May, who still performs with his Queen colleague drummer Roger Taylor and singer Adam Lambert, is now Dr Brian May after studying for a PhD in Astrophysics at London’s Imperial College.
Viewed from Earth, it is more than 10,000 times fainter than can be seen by the eye.
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Asteroid 52665 Brianmay was named after the rock star in 2008, on the suggestion of the late Sir Patrick Moore. He had been diagnosed HIV-positive several years earlier.
