In life, everything about Freddie Mercury was out of this world.
From his name to his jaw-dropping four-octave vocal range, the iconic Queen frontman oozed extra terrestrial charisma.
That’s likely part of the reason why the iconic singer has just had an actual asteroid named after him to commemorate what would have been his 70th birthday on the planet earth.
The International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Centre has officially redubbed Asteroid 17473 — which was discovered in 1991, the same year Mercury died – “Asteroid 17473 Freddiemercury” in honour of the rock legend.
And the announcement was made by none other than Queen guitarist and legitimate astrophysicist Brian May, via a video projected at the Freddie For A Day birthday bash in Switzerland.
“It’s like a cinder in space, as many of these asteroids are. You need a pretty decent telescope to see it,” Dr. May said.
“It’s just a dot of light but it’s a very special dot of light and maybe one day we’ll get there.”
Now, Mr. Fahrenheit will be burnin’ through the sky, defying the laws of gravity for years to come, as his honorary 3.5 kilometre-wide space nugget cruises through the galaxy along the main Asteroid Belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
“Freddie Mercury sang, ‘I’m a shooting star leaping through the sky’ — and now that is even more true than ever before,” said Astrologist and director of the Southwest Research Institute in Colorado, Joel Parker, who issued the certificate of designation (via ABC).
“But even if you can’t see Freddie Mercury leaping through the sky, you can be sure he’s there — ‘floating around in ecstasy’, as he might sing — for millennia to come.”
And what better way to honour one of rock’s greatest legends than with a legendary space rock.
Yeah, I’m a rocket ship on my way to Mars on a collision course! I’m a satellite I’m out of controlllll!
Watch: Freddie Mercury Asteroid
