The International Astronomical Union has named an asteroid after former NASA roboticist Randall Munroe of xkcd. The new name 4942 Munroe is a vast improvement over its pre-name designation of (4942) 1987 DU6. Munroe wrote about the honor:
The first thing I did was try to figure out whether 4942 Munroe was big enough to pose a threat to Earth. I was excited to learn that, based on its albedo (brightness), it’s probably about 6-10 kilometers in diameter. That’s comparable in size to the one that killed the dinosaurs—definitely big enough to cause a mass extinction!
That's so cool! Find out more about the asteroid at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It's pretty technical. -via Laughing Squid
(Image credit: Randall Munroe)
If I discover a black hole, can I name it after an ex-girlfriend?
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