7307 Takei

[docm]

Link....<br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p><b>Asteroid renamed for 'Star Trek' actor</b><br /><br />NEW YORK (AP) -- A piece of outer space named for George Takei is in kind of a rough neighborhood for somebody who steers a starship: an asteroid belt.<br /><br /> An asteroid between Mars and Jupiter has been renamed 7307 Takei in honor of the actor, best known for his role as Hikaru Sulu in the original "Star Trek" series and movies.<br /><br />"I am now a heavenly body," Takei, 70, said Tuesday, laughing. "I found out about it yesterday. ... I was blown away. It came out of the clear, blue sky -- just like an asteroid."<br /><br />The celestial rock, discovered by two Japanese astronomers in 1994, was formerly known as 1994 GT9. It joins the 4659 Roddenberry (named for the show's creator, Gene Roddenberry) and the 68410 Nichols (for co-star Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura). Other main-belt asteroids have been named for science fiction luminaries Robert Heinlein and Isaac Asimov.<br /><br />The renaming of 7307 Takei was approved by the International Astronomical Union's Committee on Small Body Nomenclature. About 14,000 asteroid names have been approved by the panel, while about 165,000 asteroids have been identified and numbered, union spokesman Lars Lindberg Christensen said.<br /><br />Unlike the myriad Web sites that offer to sell naming rights to stars, the IAU committee-approved names are actually used by astronomers, said Tom Burbine, the Mount Holyoke College astronomy professor who proposed the name swap.<br /><br />"This is the name that will be used for all eternity," he said.<br /><br />Burbine said he suggested Takei's name in part out of appreciation for his work with the Japanese American Citizens League and with the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign. Takei, a spokesman for HRC's Coming Out Project, was cultural affairs chai</p></blockquote> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

Cool news. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />However, I was miffed to see this headline:<br /><br />Asteroid belt is named for George Takei<br /><br />(If you read the article, it's obvious that the author does understand the distinction between an asteroid and the entire asteroid belt, which means this is the AP editor's fault.) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

I'm shocked! <img src="/images/icons/shocked.gif" /> An AP headline writer not having the first clue about the subject of the story. Shocked <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[3488]

Unfortunately, some of these people are paid a lot of money to write inaccurate rubbish<br />on something that they do not know or even care about.<br /><br />However the Asteroid 7307 Takei is a wonderful tribute.<br /><br />That name is permanent & the asteroid in question will last hundreds of millions of years,<br />if not all the way up, to when the Sun dies. What a beautifully, wonderful tribute.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[ashish27]

I think all galaxies, clusters, stars, extrasolar planets shoud have popular names, that way its easier to remember facts about them.

 

[MeteorWayne]

With that many names it wouldn't be easy at all.<br /><br />That's why the M's and the NGC's work so well.<br /><br />Sure, who knowns where NGC 3429 is, but if you are going to look at it, you do. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[ashish27]

No what I mean is that along with a scientific designation like Messier and NGC objects, there should also be a pop name eg M31 is Andromeda and NGC 4594 being named Sombrero galaxy. Likewise.

 

[thebigcat]

Meteor Wayne: <i>Sure, who knowns where NGC 3429 is</i><br /><br />It's in Leo. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

I understand that ashish 27, but if everything was named, there would be millions of names, so they would lose their usefulness.<br /><br />Most easily observed and distictive deep sky objects do have names.<br />Owl Nebula, Horsehead Nebula, Ring Nebula, many galaxies with distinctive shapes, etc.<br />A few hundred stars are named. Many asteroids are named.<br />The planets (regular and dwarf) and most moons are named.<br />Comets, of course, received the name of their discoverer.<br /><br />But if you named everything no one would be able to remember them all! <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[robnissen]

My suggestion is that all objects be named after the people who post on sdc. based on their current status on the board. Thus, the scientific name of the local group will now be the Vogon Local Group. New galaxies could be named the MeteorWayne galaxy, future planetary systems might be the 3488 system (not much of an improvement) or the Anvel system; planets could be the BillSlugg planet or RobNissen planet (my personal fav.). I think this is a GREAT idea, someone please implement immediately.

 

[alokmohan]

Slight of the track,some persons sell stars.Nothing But cheating.

 

[robnissen]

You are absolutely right, the star-naming-sellers are a bunch of crooks. But, I on the other hand, will be happy to sell you 640,00 acres on the moon, or 400,000 acres on Mars, or in the deal of a lifeteem, 500,000 LAKEFRONT acres on Titan, all for the low-low-price of $100,000. Please forward your payments to my paypal account immediately.