BRIAN MAY ANNOUNCES ASTEROID 17473 FREDDIEMERCURY - Honouring Freddie’s 70th Birthday

I'm a huge Queen fan since i can remember myself and this made me happy.
From the Official Queen page on facebook

Talking via a filmed message, Queen’s Brian May late last night, Sunday, September 4th, announced ‘Asteroid 17473 Freddiemercury’ designated in Freddie’s honor at Freddie For A Day 70th birthday party held at Montreux Casino in aid of Mercury Phoenix Trust. Over 1,250 fans had gathered to celebrate.

I’m happy to be able to announce that the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center has today designated Asteroid 17473, discovered 1991, in Freddie’s name, timed to honor his 70th Birthday. Henceforth this object will be known as Asteroid 17473 Freddiemercury. Published in the September 4th announcements of the Minor Planet Center, operating out of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory), this announcement is to recognize Freddie’s outstanding influence in the world.

Where is Freddie’s Asteroid ? It’s in the main Asteroid Belt, out between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, and is about 3 and a half km across. It has an albedo of about 0.3 – which means it only reflects about 30 per cent of the light that falls on it; like many asteroids, it’s a dark object – rather like a cinder in space. Viewed from the Earth it is more than 10,000 times fainter than you can see by eye, so you need a fair-sized telescope to see it … and that’s why it wasn’t discovered until 1991.

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Happy birthday Freddie 🌟

What a cool way to honor this legend! Wonderful!

a reply to: Phantom traveller

I bet old Freddie really is whizzing through the galaxy singing his heart out

Wait.

Mercury is a planet. Now asteroid? Isn't this a demotion?

a reply to: Phage

The solar system is down-sizing.

I even heard that 2 of Jupiter's moons are getting reassigned.


Just wanted to add that this is very cool.

originally posted by: Phage
Wait.

Mercury is a planet. Now asteroid? Isn't this a demotion?

Only if the planet was named after Freddie..

Hell, he deserves a whole nebula. It can be called Another One Bites The Dust

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

There is a lot of dust out there.

Now he is truly a shooting star leaping through the sky.

Big fan of Queen and Freddie here.

By the way, here's the JPL page for this asteroid, called there 17473 (1991 FM3): ssd.jpl.nasa.gov...

Brian's anouncement: www.youtube.com...

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

You know what they say... The show must go on

a reply to: wildespace

Thanks for posting the video.

a reply to: Phage

Not exactly heavy metal either. Genre anyway

a reply to: Phantom traveller

How very cool, he was a great man!!! Love this!