Asteroids in orbit between Mars and Jupiter have gained a new identity this month after being named after three Imperial College London meteorite experts. Drs Phil Bland Opens in new window, Matthew Genge Opens in new window and Mark Sephton Opens in new window are among around fifty scientists honoured by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) at the recent annual meeting of the Meteoritical Society.
The IAU bestows asteroid names on planetary scientists once every three years, in recognition of their contributions to the discipline.
The asteroids are all main belt asteroids, left over from the formation of the Solar System. The designation of these bodies is now: 6580 Philbland, 6626 Mattgenge, and 7552 Sephton.
"It's funny to think there's a 4 km wide rock out there with my name on it. Having studied impacts, I somehow can't help but hope that it might collide with something - preferably Mars or the Moon rather than the Earth. It would make a big bang" - Dr Phil Bland, honoured for his work on the origins of the Solar System and on impacts.
There are now two members of the Bland family in space as an asteroid has also been named after Dr Bland's wife, Gretchen Benedix, recognised with 6579 Benedix for her work on igneous meteorites.
"It's great we got consecutive numbers, and even better that mine was discovered first" - Dr Benedix, who works at the Natural History Museum and is part of the Impact and Astromaterials Research Centre run jointly with Imperial College.
In contrast to Dr Bland, Dr Genge, honoured for his work on micrometeorites, is worried about collisions.
"6626 Mattgenge is already coming quite close to Mars. The orbits of asteroids change and in the future it will probably become an Amor, a Mars-crosser. Around 50% of these collide with the red-planet. My 7 km of prime asteroid real estate could turn into a hole in the Martian surface. Even worse it might survive to become an Earth- crosser, in a few million years, and prompt an impact scare. Imagine the headline 'Mattgenge fails to make an impact' as an epitaph" - Matthew Genge.
"My kids are going to love this. With the name 'Sephton' that makes 7552 a family asteroid, although it's a bit far away to make a decent holiday home" - Dr Mark Sephton, whose work on the organic molecules within meteorites was honoured.
