There is a kind of astronomy romance, called to let your name shine in the sea of stars.
In 1928, young astronomer Zhang Yuzhe discovered an asteroid in the United States, which was also the first asteroid discovered by Chinese, which was named "Chinese Star". Since the beginning of the "Chinese Star", for more than 90 years, more and more Chinese elements have shone in the vast sky. What are the "Chinese stars" in the sky? Why do astronomers "chase" asteroids? Astronomers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences will unlock the "Mystery of China" in the sky for you.
Zhao Haibin, director of the Department of Planetary Science and Deep Space Exploration research at the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced that only asteroids can be named according to the wishes of the discoverers of all kinds of celestial bodies found in the universe. Generally speaking, the discoverer nominates the International Astronomical Union, and after review and approval, the naming is announced to the international community. Once the asteroid naming is determined, it is permanently unchangeable.
"Naming an asteroid is both a condensation of the painstaking efforts of researchers and the good wishes of mankind, and astronomers regard it as a romantic honor." Zhao Haibin said.
Compared with Western countries, China's asteroid detection started late, but with the efforts of astronomers, the number of "Chinese stars" shining in the sky is increasing, and the scope is getting wider and wider.
——There are "place-name stars": At present, most provinces and cities on the mainland have corresponding asteroids named after administrative districts, such as Beijing star, Shanghai star, Shandong star, Jiangsu star;
—— There are "mythical stars": such as Nüwa Star, Chang'e Star, Candle Dragon Star;
——There are "event stars": such as Shenzhou Star, Olympic Volunteer Star, Beijing Olympic Star;
—— There are "ancient celebrity stars": such as Zhang Hengxing, Zu Chong's star, Confucius star, Lao Zi star, Sima Qianxing, Li Baixing, Du Fuxing, Su Dongpoxing, Guo Shoujingxing;
——There are "modern scientist stars": such as Li Siguangxing, Wu Jianxiongxing, Wang Shouzhenxing, Ye Shuhuaxing, Zhou Guangzhaoxing, Ye Peijianxing and so on. In order to pay tribute to Zhang Yuzhe, in 1978, the International Minor Planet Center announced that the 2051 asteroid discovered by Chinese-American astronomer Shao Zhengyuan was officially named "Zhang Yuzhe Star".
Why do scientists observe and track asteroids? Zhao Haibin introduced that asteroids are a type of celestial bodies that may be "closely connected" with the earth, and finding and tracking them will help human beings grasp the security threats that the earth may suffer, and then defend the safety of the earth.
It is now recognized in the astronomical community that asteroids with a diameter of 140 meters and orbits within 7.5 million kilometers of The Earth may pose a threat to the Earth. Humans have discovered more than 2,000 such asteroids, accounting for only about 40% of the total.
At present, the mainland has joined the International Asteroid Early Warning Network as a full member, and the Purple Mountain Observatory Near Earth Object Telescope is the main equipment. At the same time, Chinese astronomers are also promoting the construction of a larger caliber of next-generation neo-Earth object monitoring equipment to improve observation capabilities, hoping to play a more important role in the field of international asteroid monitoring and early warning.
Producer: Hu Qinghai
Planner: Liu Xinhui
Reporters: Wang Jueyue and Qiu Bingqing
Editors: Lian Changyan, Tang Jianhui
Poster Maker: Chen Jie
It was co-produced by Xinhua News Agency and Jiangsu Branch of Xinhua News Agency
Produced by Starry Sky Studios