The Arthur C. Clarke Gamma Ray Burst

Larry Sessions, a columnist for Earth & Sky, has suggested in his blog that the gamma-ray event whose radiation reached us a few hours before Arthur C. Clarke died, and which occurred 7.5 billion years ago, be named the Clarke Event. The outburst, which produced enough visible light to render it a naked-eye object across half the universe, is officially designated GRB 080319B. What more fitting tribute to Clarke than to associate his name with the greatest bang since the big one? Sessions suggests writing to any astronomers, heads of physics departments, or planetarium operators you know and talking up the proposal.

Comments

Overdoing it

[isomeme]

What, having the single most valuable orbit type named after him isn't enough? The orbit has the further advantage of actually being his idea.

Re:Overdoing it

[Jonathunder]

It wasn't his idea, though he did popularize it in a 1945 story. Herman Potocnik published a paper on geosynchronous satellites for communication in 1928.

No need to mod anything in this thread up.

[Somegeek]

The facts have come out. Years ago. He never did anything. No one ever came forward. No evidence was ever found. This is old news.

Re:No need to mod anything in this thread up.

[xtracto]

Yeah, for all the people that still think it might be true, the fact is that all the Sir Arthur C. Clarke paeophilia issue was brought forward by no less than The Sunday Mirror (or dailiy mirror) which is just a tabloid "news" paper in the UK. They even printed an apology and retraction.