Elliott Smith was one of the most influential and groundbreaking rock artists of all time. What better way to honor the fallen genius than to name an asteroid after him?
Edinburgh-based independent filmmaker Orlando Campopiano championed the move, per Stereogum. He got the idea for the tribute one night while looking at the stars and listening to Smith’s song “Shooting Star” from his posthumous album From a Basement on the Hill. Serendipitously, the song ends with Smith singing, “You’ll love me sad, shooting star.”
Following the spark of inspiration, Campopiano then reached out to Smith’s estate. Campopiano then submitted a proposal to the International Astronomical Union, and they accepted it.
Elliott Smith died in 2003, at 34, after suffering two stab wounds to the chest
Now, a minor planet discovered by astronomers in 2014 will officially be named “(861969) Elliottsmith.” The International Astronomical Union’s Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature (WGSBN) approved the naming.
“I hope this introduces at least one new person to Elliott’s brilliant discography, and I’m happy to see a permanent legacy in the stars,” Campopiano said in a statement. “To have this tribute to him blessed by the estate and discoverers is also a great honour.”
The designation was noted in the IAU’s bulletin, confirming that the asteroid was named in honor of Smith, the “American musician and songwriter [who was] born Steven Paul Smith on August 6, 1969.”
The ‘861969’ part is the asteroid’s numerical designation and a reference to Smith’s birthday: August 6, 1969
The asteroid can be located using NASA’s 3D Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s interactive Small-Body Database.
Notably, Smith is not the only famous musician to have a celestial body named after him. NME reports that Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, Madonna, Stevie Wonder, Freddie Mercury, all four members of The Beatles, Enya, Bob Dylan, Brian Eno, and Frank Zappa all do as well.
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