The recently deceased American actor, director and writer Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015), known internationally for his role as Spock in the galactic saga created by Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek, already has his own corner in our cosmos. The International Astronomical Union has given the name "4864 Nimoy" to an asteroid discovered by the Belgian astronomer Henri Debehogne in 1988 in honor of the actor.
The asteroid in question will be visible with a 14-inch or larger telescope beginning in mid-July , when its brightness increases to magnitude 15 between the constellations of Sagittarius and Capricorn in the night sky.
"4864 Nimoy" is 10 kilometers in diameter and has a 3.9-year solar orbit between Mars and Jupiter, roughly in the same plane as our planet. It is the second asteroid related to Leonard Nimoy, since in 1971 another rock was discovered by the astronomer James Gibson who named the asteroid "2039 Mr. Spock".
Our cool, impassive male-faced hero was the perfect complement to Captain Kirk's emotional excesses. His character helped a thousand and one times in dangerous and difficult situations thanks to his control of the facts and his rational thinking. From now on, fans of this franchise, and in particular Mr. Spock, will also have a place in the universe to send their particular Vulcan salute .
