3834 Zappafrank
Encyclopedia
3834 Zappafrank is a main belt
asteroid
that was discovered by Ladislav Brožek
in 1980 at Kleť Observatory
. It was named after the late American composer Frank Zappa
on July 22, 1994.
in Phoenix
, Arizona
, USA headed the successful Internet
campaign to name the asteroid, which apparently was the first worldwide on-line petition. It involved Zappa fans in 22 countries and produced the most people supporting an asteroid's name, according to the International Astronomical Union
(IAU).
Having unsuccessfully tried to get one of the planets orbiting the pulsar
in the constellation Virgo
named after Zappa, Scialli was lucky enough in early 1994 to find an enthusiastic supporter in the person of Dr. Brian Marsden at the Minor Planet Center
near Boston
, Massachusetts
, who was involved in the IAU Committee for naming celestial objects. Dr. Marsden admitted that the idea of naming an object after Zappa had crossed his mind at the time of the musician's death the previous December, suggested that an alternative request to name an asteroid might meet with the IAU's approval, and offered to steer it through the committee.
Scialli's favorite choices of name proved, for a variety of reasons, to be unsuitable: 2813 Zappalà
had already been named after the astronomer Vincenzo Zappalà
, and there were quite a few beginning with 'Frank': namely 982 Franklina
and 1925 Franklin-Adams
(both named for John Franklin-Adams, British
amateur astronomer
); 2824 Franke
(named for Ersnt H. Franke, American biophysicist
); and 2845 Franklinken
(named for Kenneth Linn Franklin, American astronomer). Subsequently, 4546 Franck
(named for César Franck
, Belgian
composer) and 9662 Frankhubbard
(named for American harpsichord
maker Frank Hubbard
) have appeared, but on this occasion the name Zappafrank was settled on, by which it was from then on referred by astronomers all over the world. The IAU Committee felt that No. 3834 was an ideal choice, having been discovered by a Czech
astronomer, since Zappa had been an icon of freedom to the people of that country in the period prior to 1989. President Václav Havel
—a fan of Zappa whom the musician had met—although not able to endorse the request in an official capacity, evidently approved, and Dr. Marsden claimed that he had never experienced such intense lobbying: the press reported thousands of letters of support were sent to him before the committee met.
3834 Zappafrank is mentioned in a picture (a fictional star map) in the booklet of the One Size Fits All
1995 CD version.
Asteroid belt
The asteroid belt is the region of the Solar System located roughly between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter. It is occupied by numerous irregularly shaped bodies called asteroids or minor planets...
asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
that was discovered by Ladislav Brožek
Ladislav Brožek
Ladislav Brožek is/was a Slovak astronomer. He discovered a number of 23 minor planets between 1979 and 1982 at Kleť Observatory.- References :...
in 1980 at Kleť Observatory
Klet Observatory
Kleť Observatory is an astronomical observatory in the Czech Republic. It is situated in South Bohemia, south of the summit of Mount Kleť, near the town of České Budějovice...
. It was named after the late American composer Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
on July 22, 1994.
Naming campaign
John V. Scialli, M.D., a forensic psychiatristForensic psychiatry
Forensic psychiatry is a sub-speciality of psychiatry and an auxiliar science of criminology. It encompasses the interface between law and psychiatry...
in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, USA headed the successful Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
campaign to name the asteroid, which apparently was the first worldwide on-line petition. It involved Zappa fans in 22 countries and produced the most people supporting an asteroid's name, according to 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...
(IAU).
Having unsuccessfully tried to get one of the planets orbiting the pulsar
Pulsar
A pulsar is a highly magnetized, rotating neutron star that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation. The radiation can only be observed when the beam of emission is pointing towards the Earth. This is called the lighthouse effect and gives rise to the pulsed nature that gives pulsars their name...
in the constellation Virgo
Virgo (constellation)
Virgo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for virgin, and its symbol is . Lying between Leo to the west and Libra to the east, it is the second largest constellation in the sky...
named after Zappa, Scialli was lucky enough in early 1994 to find an enthusiastic supporter in the person of Dr. Brian Marsden at the Minor Planet Center
Minor Planet Center
The Minor Planet Center operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory , which is part of the Center for Astrophysics along with the Harvard College Observatory ....
near Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, who was involved in the IAU Committee for naming celestial objects. Dr. Marsden admitted that the idea of naming an object after Zappa had crossed his mind at the time of the musician's death the previous December, suggested that an alternative request to name an asteroid might meet with the IAU's approval, and offered to steer it through the committee.
Scialli's favorite choices of name proved, for a variety of reasons, to be unsuitable: 2813 Zappalà
2813 Zappalà
2813 Zappalà is a main belt asteroid with an orbital period of 2030.3075284 days . The asteroid was discovered on November 24, 1981.-References:...
had already been named after the astronomer Vincenzo Zappalà
Vincenzo Zappalà
Vincenzo Zappalà is an Italian astronomer.He has discovered numerous asteroids, and 2813 Zappalà is named in his honour.-External links:* *...
, and there were quite a few beginning with 'Frank': namely 982 Franklina
982 Franklina
982 Franklina is a minor planet orbiting the Sun.-External links:*...
and 1925 Franklin-Adams
1925 Franklin-Adams
1925 Franklin-Adams is a main belt asteroid with an orbital period of 1489.3272944 days .The asteroid was discovered on September 9, 1934. It is named after English amateur astronomer John Franklin-Adams , who created one of the earliest detailed, photographic atlases of the complete night sky...
(both named for John Franklin-Adams, British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
amateur astronomer
Amateur astronomy
Amateur astronomy, also called backyard astronomy and stargazing, is a hobby whose participants enjoy watching the night sky , and the plethora of objects found in it, mainly with portable telescopes and binoculars...
); 2824 Franke
2824 Franke
2824 Franke is a main-belt asteroid discovered on February 4, 1934 by Reinmuth, K. at Heidelberg.- External links :*...
(named for Ersnt H. Franke, American biophysicist
Biophysics
Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science that uses the methods of physical science to study biological systems. Studies included under the branches of biophysics span all levels of biological organization, from the molecular scale to whole organisms and ecosystems...
); and 2845 Franklinken
2845 Franklinken
2845 Franklinken is a main-belt asteroid discovered on July 26, 1981 by Bowell, E. at the Anderson Mesa Station of Flagstaff . This asteroid is named for Dr. Kenneth Linn Franklin, a member of the staff of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City, and co-discoverer in 1955 of the radio noise...
(named for Kenneth Linn Franklin, American astronomer). Subsequently, 4546 Franck
4546 Franck
4546 Franck is a main-belt asteroid discovered on March 2, 1990 by Eric Elst at La Silla.- External links :*...
(named for César Franck
César Franck
César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck was a composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher who worked in Paris during his adult life....
, Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
composer) and 9662 Frankhubbard
9662 Frankhubbard
9662 Frankhubbard is a main-belt asteroid discovered on April 12, 1996 by P. G. Comba at Prescott.- External links :*...
(named for American harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
maker Frank Hubbard
Frank Hubbard
Frank Twombly Hubbard was an American harpsichord maker, a pioneer in the revival of historical methods of harpsichord building.-Student days:...
) have appeared, but on this occasion the name Zappafrank was settled on, by which it was from then on referred by astronomers all over the world. The IAU Committee felt that No. 3834 was an ideal choice, having been discovered by a Czech
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
astronomer, since Zappa had been an icon of freedom to the people of that country in the period prior to 1989. President Václav Havel
Václav Havel
Václav Havel is a Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician. He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic . He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally...
—a fan of Zappa whom the musician had met—although not able to endorse the request in an official capacity, evidently approved, and Dr. Marsden claimed that he had never experienced such intense lobbying: the press reported thousands of letters of support were sent to him before the committee met.
3834 Zappafrank is mentioned in a picture (a fictional star map) in the booklet of the One Size Fits All
One Size Fits All
One Size Fits All is a 1975 rock album by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. It is the last Zappa album to be released with the subheading of "Mothers of Invention". A special four-channel Quadraphonic version of the album was prepared and advertised, but not released...
1995 CD version.