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Leonard Nimoy Lives on - as an Asteroid

Leonard Nimoy joins a special group of people who have had the honor of having an Asteroid named after them.

By KraziyK Sun 14 Jun, 2015 11:00 PM
attachment.php?attachmentid=4550&stc=1
Leonard Nimoy was an actor, father, singer, musician, and many other things. Now he can also be considered an astral body which orbits the Sun once every 3.9 years, and is roughly six miles across.
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Asteroid 4864 Nimoy was discovered on Sept. 2 1988 by H. Debehogne at the European Southern Observatory. The Minor Planet Center made a short announcement about the renaming of Asteroid 4864:
attachment.php?attachmentid=4551&stc=1The orbit of 4864 Nimoy around our solar system.
(4864) Nimoy = 1988 RA5
Discovered 1988 Sept. 2 by H. Debehogne at the European Southern Observatory.
Leonard Nimoy (1931–2015) was an American actor, film director and poet. Best known for his portrayal of the half-Vulcan/half-human science officer Spock in the original “Star Trek” TV series and subsequent movies, Nimoy wrote two autobiographies: I Am Not Spock (1975) and I Am Spock (1995).
M.P.C. 94384


However Nimoy - rather Mr. Spock - made it to the stars before now. 2309 Mr. Spock, unlike 4864 Nimoy, is 13 miles and takes 5.23 years to make one orbit around the Sun. However it was named after James Gibson’s cat, who discovered it on August 16, 1971. So perhaps it doesn’t have anything to do with Star Trek’s favorite Vulcan or Leonard Nimoy. But it is a coincidence and that’s enough for us.

According to reports, after this the International Astronomical Union banned the use of pet names for the naming of astral bodies. However in their official guidelines it states “names of pet animals are discouraged” and makes no actual statement on forbidding it.

Nimoy joins Gene Roddenberry (4659 Roddenberry), as the second person from the Star Trek franchise to have a minor body named after them. James Doohan, Mr. Scott, also had his ashes scattered in space in 2012. Doohan's ashes were set to be launched into space in 2007, but the flight failed to make it into space.

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WRITTEN BY KRAZIYK
EDITED BY McCLINTOCK - UFP.CLINT@HACARI.COM
1 Comment
Tue 16 Jun, 2015 1:34 PM
I'd rather have the asteroid named after me.... and having a comet named after me would be even better!