Stick-Figures Everywhere Are Celebrating

[beamjockey]

Asteroid 4942 has been named Munroe, after Randall Munroe, the cartoonist who draws XKCD. Here is its entry in the Small Bodies Database.

The first thing I did was try to figure out whether 4942 Munroe was big enough to pose a threat to Earth. I was excited to learn that, based on its albedo (brightness), it’s probably about 6-10 kilometers in diameter. That’s comparable in size to the one that killed the dinosaurs—definitely big enough to cause a mass extinction!

Congratulations, Randall!

Please don't kill us all.

Comments

[maiac.livejournal.com]

That is awesome news.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

All Gary Larsen got was a louse.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

sorry, Larson.

[peteralway.livejournal.com]

The only person I knew personally to get an asteroid named after him was Jim Loudon--Alas, he didn't live to see it. I'm glad Randall Munroe lived to see his!

[zelda888.livejournal.com]

Well, at a MuseCon past I'm pretty sure you taught some mountain dulcimer to one E. Neilsen (http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=121103).

[peteralway.livejournal.com]

Well, that's a highly amusing thing to know!

[zelda888.livejournal.com]

Apparently Livejournal really, really does not want me to point you to the JPL Small-Body Database. Perhaps our host can release my previous comment?

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

Done. But I can't find the second comment of your three.

[richardthe23rd.livejournal.com]

This is, indeed, totally awesome. I realize I have nothing new or fascinating to add here, but if I do, I will provide it in a mouseover.