2309 Mr. Spock
Encyclopedia
2309 Mr. Spock is a main belt asteroid discovered on August 16, 1971 by James B. Gibson, an astronomer specializing in comet
s, asteroids and the Milky Way
, at the Yale-Columbia Station at El Leoncito, Argentina. The asteroid is about 21 km in diameter
.
The asteroid's name does not come directly from the character of Mr. Spock
in Star Trek
, but rather indirectly from the discoverer's male cat who was named after the science fiction character. Like his namesake, the feline Mr. Spock was, according to Gibson, "imperturbable, logical, intelligent, and had pointed ears". The cat had accompanied Gibson on astronomical observations carried out in the United States, Africa, and South America. The naming created an uproar, and the International Astronomical Union
subsequently decided that pet animal names were to be discouraged. A number of other asteroids have since been named after Star Trek characters, as well as after musicians and other figures in pop culture.
Comet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
s, asteroids and the Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
, at the Yale-Columbia Station at El Leoncito, Argentina. The asteroid is about 21 km in diameter
Diameter
In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose endpoints are on the circle. The diameters are the longest chords of the circle...
.
The asteroid's name does not come directly from the character of Mr. Spock
Spock
Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Spock also appears in the animated Star Trek series, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, seven of the Star Trek feature films, and numerous Star Trek...
in Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
, but rather indirectly from the discoverer's male cat who was named after the science fiction character. Like his namesake, the feline Mr. Spock was, according to Gibson, "imperturbable, logical, intelligent, and had pointed ears". The cat had accompanied Gibson on astronomical observations carried out in the United States, Africa, and South America. The naming created an uproar, and the International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
subsequently decided that pet animal names were to be discouraged. A number of other asteroids have since been named after Star Trek characters, as well as after musicians and other figures in pop culture.
External links
- Mr. Spock (1971 QX1) JPL Small-Body Database Browser on 2309 Mr. Spock (1971 QX1)
- Name those asteroids – "In Our Skies" sample column, Southwest Institute for Space Research (February 13, 1998)