The body, called "2021 JM6" for now, has been classified as a near-Earth asteroid by NASA and the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center. "I have been promoting astronomy for years, and I am always wondering if I can have an asteroid named after me." After years of assessment, a minor planet, or an asteroid, will have a "permanent designation," a number issued by the Minor Planet Center. It took Sit up to a year to discover the asteroid in a process he found "difficult." He is hoping to be the second Hongkonger to have an asteroid named after him, with Stark Chan Yik-hei getting the honor in 2005, when he was just 16, with asteroid 20780.

Source: The Standard December 21, 2021 01:12 UTC