[meteorite-list] Slightly OT: latest asteroid naming batch

From: Matson, Robert <ROBERT.D.MATSON_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Jan 26 14:34:10 2005
Message-ID: <AF564D2B9D91D411B9FE00508BF1C86904EE6357_at_US-Torrance.mail.saic.com>

Hi All,

Thought I'd share this as I know a number of you are fans of the author.
I'm very pleased to report that _Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe_ author
Douglas Adams has had an asteroid named after him in this month's Minor
Planet Center naming batch:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6867061

While visiting Boston a year and half ago, I stopped in to see Brian Marsden
and most of the primary staff at the MPC at Harvard. Among the things we
talked about were some deserving people who had not yet been honored with
an asteroid namesake. Douglas Adams was on my short list (and/or some of
his more colorful book characters). As mentioned in the article above,
Arthur Dent had already been taken care of -- just days before Adams died
of a heart attack at the young age of 49.

I'm especially overjoyed by the choice of asteroid for Adams. The asteroid
itself isn't anything special or out of the ordinary, but its preliminary
designation is tailor-made for Adams: 2001 DA42. (He died in 2001, and
anyone who has read the books knows the significance of the number 42 -- the
ultimate answer to the question of life, the universe and everything!)

Cheers,
Rob
Received on Wed 26 Jan 2005 02:25:09 PM PST