The International Astronomical Union has confirmed the name change of asteroid 1994 GT9 to 7307 Takei, in honor of actor George Takei. The body is a main belt asteroid, between Mars and Jupiter.
The asteroid was discovered by two Japanese astronomers in 1994. Takei is probably best known for his role as Lt. Sulu in Star Trek, and his asteroid joins 4659 Roddenberry (named for the show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry) and the 68410 Nichols (for co-star Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura).
“I am now a heavenly body,” Takei joked on Tuesday. “I found out about it yesterday. I was blown away. It came out of the clear, blue sky—just like an asteroid.”
The renaming was approved by the IAU’s Committee on Small Body Nomenclature. Of the 165,000 identified asteroids, about 14,000 have had names approved by the panel.
Mount Holyoke College’s astronomy professor Tom Burbine proposed the name, he said, in part out of appreciation for his work with the Japanese American Citizens League and with the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign. Takei is a spokesman for HRC’s Coming Out Project, and was cultural affairs chairman of the JACL.