It's No 'Space Oddity': Mile-Wide David Bowie Asteroid To Forever Float In Outer Space
By Chris Spears
DENVER (CBS4) - David Bowie is not only a rock legend that will live on in the hearts and minds of many, but is also a giant rock floating through space.
According to NASA's Solar System Exploration group, there's a mile-wide space rock named in honor of Bowie that serenely floats in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
The asteroid was discovered on December 21, 2008 by F. Hormuth at the Calar Alto Observatory in Spain.
Dancing out in space. An asteroid named for David Bowie orbits between Mars and Jupiter: https://t.co/xxVINJzbz2 pic.twitter.com/HYrmGm7cwg
— Cassini (@CassiniSaturn) January 11, 2016
Its official designation is 342843 Davidbowie but is also known by 2008 YN3.
The large space rock was named after David Bowie on January 5, 2015. The official designation can be seen on page 943 of this document.
As it turns out there are hundreds of tributes floating around outer space, including seven asteroids named for the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia.
RELATED: The Late David Bowie Had Plenty Of Ties To Colorado
The full list is maintained by the International Astronomical Union Minor Planet Center and can be seen here.
Meteorologist Chris Spears writes about stories related to weather, space and climate in Colorado and abroad. Check out his bio, connect with him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @ChrisCBS4.