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An Asteroid Has Been Named After Freddie Mercury (vice.com)

Posted by msmash on from the honor-system dept.

An anonymous reader shares a Motherboard report: Freddie Mercury, frontman of Queen and transcendent being of pure performative joy and vitality, would have been 70 years old this Monday, September 5. To celebrate the occasion and honor Mercury's enormous impact on pop culture, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has officially changed the name of Asteroid 17473, located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, to "Freddiemercury." It's a fitting tribute to the man who exuberantly sang that he was "a shooting star leaping through the sky" in the heart-thumping rock rager "Don't Stop Me Now." Queen's lead guitarist Brian May, who also happens to be an astrophysicist with a namesake asteroid of his own, announced the news to the band's fans via YouTube on Sunday. Mercury's asteroid is about three and a half kilometers across, and has an albedo of about 0.3, which means it reflects only about 30 percent of the Sun's light. "It's a dark object, like a cinder in space, as many of these asteroids are," May said. "It's just a dot of light, but it's a very special dot of light."

58 comments

  1. In exchange for the astronomical recognition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Radio stations across both countries agreed never to play the superlong, ridiculous pop song Bohemian Rhapsody ever again.

    1. Re:In exchange for the astronomical recognition by Jamu · · Score: 1

      This pop song?

      --
      Who ordered that?
    2. Re:In exchange for the astronomical recognition by sittingnut · · Score: 1

      shouldn't it be more appropriate to rename london (you know the city in terminal decadence) after freddy. londoners would be proud and honored.
      why label his name over a silent unspoilt asteroid? and not everyone in earth will be as proud and honored as londoners about him.

    3. Re:In exchange for the astronomical recognition by daniel23 · · Score: 1

      Or this one?

      --
      605413? Yes, it's a prime.
    4. Re:In exchange for the astronomical recognition by turbidostato · · Score: 1

      "shouldn't it be more appropriate to rename london (you know the city in terminal decadence) after freddy."

      Why stop at a city? And why the big bohoo about an asteroid being named after Freddy? He already has a planet named after him, forchristshake!

    5. Re:In exchange for the astronomical recognition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's 6 minutes long. How is that superlong? It's not like we're listening to inagodadavida with the entire drum solo.

    6. Re:In exchange for the astronomical recognition by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      You have to appreciate the complexity of the song in terms of the technology they had to work with back then.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    7. Re:In exchange for the astronomical recognition by reboot246 · · Score: 2

      That's a short song. You should listen to some classical music every once in a while to hear some loooooooong pieces. Try Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. It's nice and long.

    8. Re:In exchange for the astronomical recognition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or even "IN A GADDA DA VIDA"

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCkHanF4v1w

    9. Re:In exchange for the astronomical recognition by JoeMerchant · · Score: 1

      Accordingly, Flash Gordon will now be played instead of Bohemian Rhapsody.

    10. Re:In exchange for the astronomical recognition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Beethoven Nine is zippy, compared to "Einstein On the Beach", which clocks in at between ~200 and ~220 minutes depending on scoring. Note that this is legitimate music, compared to some mere stunts that last many hours, like Richter's "Sleep" that clocks in at eight hours, and ends when the alarm goes off.

    11. Re:In exchange for the astronomical recognition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you are not a bigoted homophobe, why do you object to renaming London after Freddy?

    12. Re:In exchange for the astronomical recognition by Hotawa+Hawk-eye · · Score: 2

      How about the ongoing performance of As Slow As Possible at St. Burchardi church in Halberstadt, Germany?

    13. Re:In exchange for the astronomical recognition by beh · · Score: 1

      I see a little snag in your plan...

      _IF_ someone wanted to rename London after any singer - that might be just about fine...
      _IF_ that someone chose Freddy Mercury over David Bowie - hmmmm - that person might be in trouble...

      Sorry, The Man Who Sold The World pretty much reigns supreme in London... As much as I like Freddy Mercury - Bowie would be the better tribute...

      And as for naming an asteroid after Freddy Mercury - fine by me - even the reference to a "shooting star leaping through the sky" kind of makes sense.

      I just hope that this asteroid will never head towards Earth - otherwise the song title "Don't stop me now!" might be reaaaaally bad... ;-)

    14. Re:In exchange for the astronomical recognition by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 1

      I cannot now rid my mind from re-imaging Alan Partridge singing out-of-tune, "Killleeerr-QUEEEEEEEN" to himself, as he crosses a Norfolk commercial traveller's hotel lobby.

      --
      "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
      Never been known to fail..."
  2. Too much by hawguy · · Score: 5, Funny

    He already had an entire planet named after him, why does he need an asteroid named after him too?

    1. Re:Too much by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      I assumed they'd named it ravingassbandit.

    2. Re:Too much by tsa · · Score: 1

      Mercury doesn't actually contain much mercury so I guess they try again, and most of the rocks in our vicinity have been named already so they settled for this asteroid.

      --

      -- Cheers!

    3. Re:Too much by wooferhound · · Score: 1

      Planet Freddy ?

      --
      We are Dead Stars looking back Up at the Sky
    4. Re:Too much by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Exactly, having two things named after him will just confuse the mail delivery no end.

  3. I suppose people would recognize that... by Creepy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Freddy Mercury's real name is Farrokh Bulsara. Brian May didn't have a stage name.

    1. Re:I suppose people would recognize that... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's not true, Brian May's real name is Elspeth Macklesthwaite.

    2. Re:I suppose people would recognize that... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No. That's his twin brother.

    3. Re:I suppose people would recognize that... by KozmoStevnNaut · · Score: 2

      No, Freddie legally changed his name around when they started Queen.

      --
      Eat the rich.
  4. Vibrates at 70Hz by ArtemaOne · · Score: 1

    Do you think it matches his vibrato?

    1. Re:Vibrates at 70Hz by Black.Shuck · · Score: 1

      He did have a quick vibrato, but not *that* quick!

    2. Re:Vibrates at 70Hz by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's wasn't vibrato, it was an amplitude modulated secret message that nobody has decoded yet

    3. Re:Vibrates at 70Hz by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      You misspelled ''buttplug''.

  5. Finally by tsa · · Score: 1

    It's about time. Hopefully the asteroid contains a lot of mercury.

    --

    -- Cheers!

  6. Great man. by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

    Freddy Mercury was terrific, but he ruined mustaches for straight men everywhere, and so soon after Burt Reynolds made them acceptable again.

    All in all, I'd trade Burt Reynolds straight up to get Freddie Mercury back. People forget just how great he was. Watch this 1974 live Queen video to be reminded. And he only got better after that.

    https://youtu.be/T8Rfb1Jtmic

    In 1992 Mercury was posthumously awarded the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music, with a tribute concert held at Wembley Stadium, London. As a member of Queen, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003, the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004, and the band received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002. In 2002, he was placed at number 58 in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. Consistently voted one of the greatest singers in the history of popular music, Mercury was voted best male singer of all time in a 2005 poll organised by Blender and MTV2;[6] was ranked at 18 on the 2008 Rolling Stone list of the 100 greatest singers ever;[5] was elected in 2009 as the best rock singer of all time by Classic Rock;[7] — and was described by AllMusic as "one of rock's greatest all-time entertainers," with "one of the greatest voices in all of music."[8]

    He deserves to have an entire star system named after him.

    And he was a Zoroastrian born in Zanzibar, because of course he was. I'm instructing my wife to include, "He was a Zoroastrian born in Zanzibar" in my obituary because it sounds so cool, even though it's not true at all.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
    1. Re:Great man. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thanks, I've been looking for that video ever since I first saw it.

      captcha: destuffs

    2. Re:Great man. by JoeMerchant · · Score: 1

      If your social circle lets the likes of FM and BR influence their impressions of your facial hair, you could find a better crowd to hang out with.

    3. Re:Great man. by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2

      If your social circle lets the likes of FM and BR influence their impressions of your facial hair, you could find a better crowd to hang out with.

      I have a full and manly mustache, which is waxed every day. I also use lavender oil to keep it redolent.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    4. Re:Great man. by JoeMerchant · · Score: 1

      If your social circle lets the likes of FM and BR influence their impressions of your facial hair, you could find a better crowd to hang out with.

      I have a full and manly mustache, which is waxed every day. I also use lavender oil to keep it redolent.

      If that's working for you, by all means keep it up,

    5. Re:Great man. by OutOnARock · · Score: 1

      I'd trade Magic Johnson for Freddy every day and twice on Sunday!!!

    6. Re:Great man. by OutOnARock · · Score: 1

      sorry to reply to my own...Freddie....Freddie.....

  7. When we colonize Mercury... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...the capital should be called "Freddie". (The habitat will of course be near the poles where it isn't quite so hot.)

    1. Re:When we colonize Mercury... by ChrisMaple · · Score: 1

      I'm telling you now, if you've been a tourist there, you can say you've done the Freddie.

      --
      Contribute to civilization: ari.aynrand.org/donate
    2. Re:When we colonize Mercury... by Nyh · · Score: 1

      It shouldn't be at the poles. It should be quite hot:
      I'm burning through the sky yeah!
      Two hundred degrees
      That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit

  8. How do they know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    the asteroid has AIDS?

  9. Bad Choice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    A black hole would have been more fitting, considering Mr. Mercury was a sodomite.

    1. Re:Bad Choice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      How was this even modded down--it's true.

    2. Re:Bad Choice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      PC SJWs are how. They want to censor the world with their brand of fascism.

    3. Re:Bad Choice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Since according to the Bible, a sodomite is one who is unkind to strangers, and haughty and prideful, I question your assertion as to the veracity of the grandparent post.

    4. Re:Bad Choice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      Nice try. That angle is refuted in scripture in Jude 1:7. Sodom and Gomorrah were found guilty of gross sexual immorality by God and destroyed. A Sodomite could be from Sodom, yes, but the reference above is used by Christians and others to refer to the obvious unnatural practice of men inserting their penises into other men's anuses. It's unnatural and only the deluded would argue otherwise.

      Homosexuality

      Jude 1:7
        In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

      1 Timothy 1:10
      for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

      Romans 1:24-27
      24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

      26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

      Cross Dressers / TransWeirdos

      Deuteronomy 22:5
      A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this.

      Stop trying to whitewash homosexuality as being normal. It's not. It's detestable, unnatural, and sick.

    5. Re:Bad Choice by colinwb · · Score: 1

      Don't you mean "somdomite"?

    6. Re:Bad Choice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      This is a particularly funny in Bible humping context:
      "A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this."

      So why was it that Men wore Dresses back then? They couldn't even wear trousers until the bloody trouser-button was invented. Then it's as if God sayeth, "Until thouest invents Men's clothing, thou shall wear no clothing at all." So for thousands of years, men pranced around with not much more than their foreskins on, and then God decided that those would have to go as well. God liked his Men Nude, oiled, and with Breasts like Pomegranates... no, that was Solomon, and he was singing his song about his Sister. No nude, oiled up Men for him.

      Now as far as Women wearing Men's clothing, again, not much difference in clothing originally. Well, Men did have their hammered breastplates for going into Battle. Women resisted for a long time... and then came the Brassiere for their goings into Battle, to be surrendered when Battle lost. That one invention probably pissed God and me off equally. That and pantyhose. God because it was hose for women, a sort of trousers without buttons, and me because the sewn in panties got in the way. And then God, or more probably Solomon's Sister, invented Crotchless Panties.
      Many a lonely night, yellow highlighter in hand, and no that isn't a euphemism, I would search through copies of the Gideon's Bible left thoughtfully behind by others, looking for warnings against Crotchless Panties. The closest to this is: “Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.” God was so _Butch_ at times. Of course these days, such an article is manufactured and sold as a Girdle, nearly always crotchless. and with clips for holding up some sagging hose.

    7. Re:Bad Choice by KozmoStevnNaut · · Score: 1

      Please explain to the bonobo chimpanzees and hyenas (among many others) that their homosexual behavior is unnatural.

      --
      Eat the rich.
    8. Re:Bad Choice by TractorBarry · · Score: 1

      Never mind the Bonobos and Hyeanas. I dare anyone to try and explain it to TurboNegro !

      --
      Sky subscribers are morons. They pay to be advertised at !
    9. Re:Bad Choice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So we base natural and normal human behavior on animals, do we?

      "Look, the lemmings are falling off the cliff! Let's join them!"

      Foolishness! God is the arbiter of what is good and bad, not mere creations. You may not be a believer, and this is fine, but homosexuality is NOT natural or normal. It's a mental disorder that was begged to be changed into an "orientation" by lobbying the APA and AMA. We shouldn't pander to maybe 3% of the population. What's next to become legal, polygamy? Honor killings? People marrying animals? Where do you draw the line? The homosexuals say they want to be free to marry who they love. What if someone loves their cat and wants to marry the cat. Dog? Horse? Own sister or brother. It's a slippery slope. Don't even say that people won't go that far. They are already trying. There are court cases pending. And the fact that a judge anywhere is even willing to entertain such debauchery says have far we've slid morally.

  10. Considering asteroids wipe out entire populations by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    they should have named it AIDS.

    Oooo burn so hot even captcha said it "scorches"

  11. Not Officially by BinBoy · · Score: 1

    The Martians never agreed to this.

    1. Re:Not Officially by jrumney · · Score: 1

      The Martians never agreed to this.

      It was all because of Brian May's gerrymandering to prevent Ziggy Stardust being chosen.

  12. It's the thought that counts. by Snufu · · Score: 2

    "Freddie, we named a planet after you. The one that is cheek to cheek with a star."
    Freddie: "Allright!!"
    "We also named an element after you. Also known as 'quicksilver'"
    Freddie: "How fitting!"
    "We also named a dark dead rock next to a bunch of other dead rocks after you."
    Freddie: "Oh...you...shouldn't have."

    1. Re:It's the thought that counts. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "And we named a "Theatre On The Air" just for you."
      Freddie: "Oh, you duffers, that was all about Mars actually, not Mercury, they just used the name. But All's Wells that ends Welles."

      (The Mercury Theatre On The Air was named after the American Mercury, Mencken's old Literary rag, that mixed Isolationism, traditional Midwest Progressive, and Anti-Fascism in various measures laced with hilarious doses of bile. In one of the weirder twists of History, W.R. Hearst organized the takeover of the magazine, and turned it into a Conservative and then an Anti-Semetic, Pro-Nazi, and later Neo-Nazi mouthpiece. )

  13. thats not an asteroid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    thats an AIDSteroid

  14. IF it ever hit Earth by JavaBear · · Score: 1

    I wonder if it'll split into three parts, two smaller ones and a big one. Impacting with a **thump** **thump** **CRASH!**

  15. Not the best song line-up for an asteroid... by JigJag · · Score: 1

    ... I want to break free... we will rock you...don't stop me now....now I'm here.... breakthrough... another one bites the dust...we are the champions...

    --
    "The hallmark of humanity is the ability to move beyond sensory inputs" - Mary Helen Immordino-Yang