Lowell Observatory Pushes To Name an Asteroid "Trayvon"

Flash Modin writes "The observatory where Pluto was discovered is pushing to name an asteroid after a black teenager killed in a controversial confrontation in Florida last year. William Lowell Putnam III says his family has identified with the cause of African American rights, and thus an asteroid named after Trayvon Martin is perfectly appropriate. Putnam is the sole trustee of the observatory, which was founded by Percival Lowell during his search for canals on Mars. Astronomers at the observatory discovered the asteroid in 2000, but it has not been formally named. Putnam has already asked the Minor Planet Center once to designate the asteroid 'Trayvon,' but they told him the designation was 'premature.' Now that there's been a verdict, the observatory is reapplying in hopes the naming body will see things different."

Comments

Right...

[publiclurker]

When an unarmed black kid is being stalked by someone like you they are just supposed to say yes sir massa sir or you feel entitled to kill them for not knowing their place. I hope that you tell any women out there that if they are being stalked by someone like you that they should just lay back and enjoy it. Otherwise you'll have to kill them and claim you were just standing your ground.

IndieGoGo In 4..3..2..

[BlueStrat]

If these fools name some hapless piece of drifting interplanetary space debris "Trayvon" in their misguided attempt to glorify a dead, racist, drug-abusing, violent criminal thug, how long until there's an IGG funding drive for development of a "Zimmerman" missile to destroy it?

Kind of a long way to go (in multiple senses of the phrase) to get people interested in space again, isn't it?

I think these people have had far too much time on their hands for far too long.

"Space Madness" has obviously taken hold of this group. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZCiZpph9jo

Strat