Nile Rodgers is now the namesake of an asteroid, as Rolling Stone reports. Rodgers’ friend Simon Lowery, who works at the European Southern Observatory and is affiliated with the International Astronomical Union, arranged the honor. He revealed the newly named Nilerodgers (191911) at a dinner celebrating the songwriter’s 70th birthday earlier this month.
According to Rolling Stone, Nilerodgers (191911) was first discovered in April 2005. Lowery went through a formal process with the IAU to have the potato-shaped asteroid officially renamed for Rodgers. He told the outlet that Nilerodgers (191911) is about 300 million miles away from Earth, taking just under six years to complete one full orbit. It’s approximately one and a quarter miles wide and “would destroy Earth basically,” according to Lowery, in the unlikely event of falling out of orbit.
“Once you get past the gesture, you’re connected with the love that made it happen,” Rodgers told Rolling Stone about the gift, continuing, “It’s the love, the human emotions and feelings other people giving back to you, so for my entire life I will hopefully continue to give to others as best I can.” Rodgers marked his September 19 birthday with a $1 million endowment to his nonprofit We Are Family Foundation.
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