The Beatles' Four Asteroids
On April 12, 1990, the Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center (located at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts) announced that it would be naming Asteroids 4147, 4148, 4149, and 4150 to Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr respectively. All four of them are between 5 and 10 diameters, and were discovered in 1983 and 1984 by Brian A. Skiff and Dr. Edward L.G. Bowell. Both worked in the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona at the time.
"My colleague and I have been fans of the Beatles for 25 years or so, ever since their early days. We thought this would be an unusual distinction for them." Bowell says. He then goes on to add, "It is customary to name asteroids after distinguished scientists or Greek and Roman goddesses, but times are changing, and we think it is a fun thing to honor some other people we like and who we think have done nice things in the world."
The two astronomers had discovered around 250 asteroids during that point in their career. However, in later years, that number went up to about 631 between the both of them, which includes solo discoveries as well as discoveries working with other people. Skiff is responsible for 60 of those findings, some of with he shares with Bowell, who has a whopping 571 minor planet discoveries to his name. Some of their other well-known findings are named Shakespeare, Michelangelo, Sagan, Hopi, and TARDIS.
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| Credit: Apple Corps Ltd. |
The two astronomers had discovered around 250 asteroids during that point in their career. However, in later years, that number went up to about 631 between the both of them, which includes solo discoveries as well as discoveries working with other people. Skiff is responsible for 60 of those findings, some of with he shares with Bowell, who has a whopping 571 minor planet discoveries to his name. Some of their other well-known findings are named Shakespeare, Michelangelo, Sagan, Hopi, and TARDIS.
"There have been whimsical names given to some asteroids in the past. Naming them after the discoverer's pet dogs and cats has been a bit frowned on. The naming rules are fairly free and open. The only prohibitions are for religious names, people of a political nature, or obscenities in any language."
There is also a fifth asteroid, 8749 Beatles, which was discovered in 1998 by John Broughton while working in the Reedy Creek Observatory in Australia. It was named in 2001.
I find it rather fitting that there would be a fifth somewhere behind the scenes. Those asteroids really were well-named.
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