Had he lived, the amazing Freddie Mercury would have turned 70 years old today. Sadly, this incredible talent was taken from the world far too soon, passing away at the age of 46.
And now an asteroid has been named after the former frontman for the rock group Queen. Queen guitarist Brian May announced the interstellar tribute in a video:
The asteroid, dubbed “Asteroid 17473 Freddiemercury,” was discovered the same year as Mercury’s death. It is located between Mars and Jupiter.
Brian May said Joel Parker of the Southwest Research Institute was instrumental in getting the commemoration of the flamboyant singer made official. For his part, Parker commented:
“When an asteroid is initially discovered it is given a ‘provisional designation’ until enough measurements have been made that its orbit is accurately determined. At that point, it is given a number and is eligible to get a name as well,” explained Parker.
“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.”
Those looking for the asteroid should follow these directions, according to May, who also has a degree in physics:
“Where is Freddie’s asteroid? It’s in the main asteroid belt, out between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, and is about 3.5 kilometers 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 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.”
So now we know with absolute certainty that Freddie will always burn bright in our hearts, our memories, and the cosmos.
Featured Image Via The Guardian
