Imagine having a celestial body named after you—not a star, but a minor planet, quietly orbiting the sun with your name attached. But here’s where it gets fascinating: it’s not just a symbolic honor; it’s a real, observable object in our solar system. And yes, I’m talking about Johnscalzi, the minor planet, not the author (that’s me!). Thanks to the incredible efforts of the Cline Observatory at Guilford College, we now have a photo of this tiny, distant world. The team there took on the challenge of locating it, and after some meticulous work—including comparing images of the same patch of sky to confirm its movement—they succeeded. What makes this even more remarkable is that Johnscalzi is currently at magnitude 17, which is incredibly faint. Capturing it required skill, patience, and a bit of astronomical magic.
And this is the part most people miss: finding this minor planet isn’t just a matter of pointing a telescope at the sky. It’s currently hanging out near the constellation Leo, close to the lion’s rear end (yes, you read that right). If you’re curious about its precise location, you can check it out using NASA’s Small-Body Database Browser (https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=52692). Just click on the ‘Ephemeris’ link and then generate the data—it’s all there. But don’t get too excited; spotting it yourself will require a large telescope, time-lapse imaging techniques, or ideally, both. It’s not an easy feat, which is why I’m so grateful to the Cline Observatory for making it possible.
As I’ve shared before (https://whatever.scalzi.com/2026/01/12/a-minor-planet-a-major-thrill/), having a minor planet named after me is an honor beyond words. Being able to see it, even in a faint, pixelated image, adds a layer of awe to the experience. It’s a reminder of how vast and interconnected our universe is—and how cool it is to have a tiny piece of it bear your name.
But here’s a thought-provoking question: Does naming a minor planet after someone truly immortalize them, or is it just a symbolic gesture in the grand scheme of the cosmos? Let me know what you think in the comments—I’d love to hear your take on this celestial honor.
— JS
