On October 11th, the official naming ceremony of the asteroid "Zhongnanshan" was held in the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.
Upon approval by the WG Small Body Nomenclature of the International Astronomical Union, an asteroid discovered by the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and numbered 325136 internationally was officially named "Zhongnanshan."
Zhong Nanshan attended the naming ceremony of the asteroid "Zhongnanshan". (Photo: Eastbrook)
Zhong Nanshan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, is both the main advocate for the early prevention, diagnosis, and management of chronic airway diseases and an important contributor to combating major public health emergencies such as SARS and COVID-19 in China.
"I am very touched and excited. This is not only a personal honor for me but also a collective recognition of the entire team and countless scientists and medical workers who have worked tirelessly and continuously explored the field of respiratory disease prevention and treatment," said Zhong Nanshan at the naming ceremony.
He added that the honor is both a recognition of past work and an inspiration for the future. In the future, like this shining asteroid, he will continue to shine and move forward without stopping.
Certificate of the asteroid "Zhongnanshan" issued by the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Photo: Eastbrook)
The asteroid "Zhongnanshan" was discovered on March 2, 2008, by the Near-Earth Object Telescope at the Xuyi Observation Station of the Purple Mountain Observatory. It was assigned the permanent number 325136 in April 2012.
In May 2021, upon the recommendation of the Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation and the application of the Purple Mountain Observatory, the International Astronomical Union officially approved the nomination to name asteroid 325136 "Zhongnanshan".
Naming communique issued by the International Astronomical Union.
Asteroids are celestial bodies in the Solar System, and they are the only type of celestial bodies that can be named by their discoverers. Once the name is internationally approved, it becomes the permanent name of the celestial body.
Orbit of the asteroid "Zhongnanshan" (Photo: Eastbrook)
This asteroid has an average distance of 373 million kilometers from the Sun and takes 4.05 years to complete one orbit. It travels at a high speed of 1.58 million kilometers per day in its orbit, equivalent to 18.3 kilometers per second.
Due to its distance of hundreds of millions of kilometers from Earth, it appears to move slowly across the starry sky. The farthest distance between the asteroid "Zhongnanshan" and Earth reaches 605 million kilometers, while the closest is only 155 million kilometers.
Reporter | Abby
Photo | Eastbrook
Video & Photo | Eastbrook
Editor | Nan, James
