You’d be surprised at some of the Asian things these asteroids are named after
Text Lim Jun Xi
#1
Asteroid Name: 67 Asia
Behind the Name: This asteroid was the very first to be discovered from Asia
#2
Asteroid Name: 1772 Gagarin
Behind the Name: Yuri Gagarin, a Russian cosmonaut, was the first human being to go to space and return alive
#3
Asteroid Name: 2266 Tchaikovsky
Behind the Name: The famous Russian composer, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
#4
Asteroid Name: 6481 Tenzing
Behind the Name: Tenzing Norgay, the famous Tibetan mountain guide, and Sir Edmund Hillary were the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest
#5
Asteroid Name: 6562 Takoyaki
Behind the Name: A popular Japanese snack of cooked balls of batter filled with octopus, cheese, or other fillings
#6
Asteroid Name: 8883 Miyazakihayao
Behind the Name: Hayao is the co-founder of Studio Ghibli and the director of many famous anime films such as Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, and Princess Mononoke
#7
Asteroid Name: 10160 Totoro
Behind the Name: The loveable titular character of the hit Japanese animated film, My Neighbour Totoro
#8
Asteroid Name: 257248 Chouchiehlun
Behind the Name: Chinese pop star Jay Chou, or Zhou Jie Lun, had this asteroid named after him by a Taiwanese astronomer fan
#9
Asteroid Name: 316201 Malala
Behind the Name: Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani female activist, is the world’s youngest Nobel Prize laureate
#10
Asteroid Name: 327695 Yokoono
Behind the Name: Yoko Ono (right), the Japanese peace activist and artist, was married to John Lennon (left) of the Beatles
This piece is part of a series on astrotourism. To read our exclusive feature, see ASIAN Geographic Issue 129: Science and Technology.
