03.25.21 |

Asteroids Named After Black, Latino and Native Astronauts

Reach for the stars and if you don’t get there…at least you’ll have your name on an asteroid. That’s a reality for 27 space explorers of Black, Latino and Native American descent, in an attempt not just to honor these brave and smart astronauts, but to inspire the next generations.

Marc W. Buie, an astronomer who discovered the 27 asteroids, told NASA it was “an honor and a privilege to name these asteroids in recognition of fellow space explorers while also adding to the message of the power and value of diversity for all human endeavors.”

These asteroids were originally named in relation to their position in space, but now José Hernández gets to look up knowing that his asteroid, (122554) Joséhernández, is in orbit. How cool is that? Very – especially if you come from a humble and migrant farming family like Jose Hernandez. He spent his childhood working in the fields, but always looked to the sky from an early age. Hernández knew he wanted to be an astronaut as a young boy, inspired by the work of Franklin Chang-Díaz.

All 27 asteroids are in one belt between Mars and Jupiter, and the team in charge of naming these asteroids at the International Astronomical Union (IAU) says it plans to continue adding more diverse names to the sky in the future.

You can find the stories and locations of all 27 asteroids here.