Thread by @renerpho

Asteroid (46925) 1998 SS27 has just been named after @BradyHaran, the host of YouTube channels like "Numberphile", "Periodic Videos", and "Objectivity".
Naming it was my idea, and I am very grateful to David Rankin at the Catalina Sky Survey for helping me with it!
A thread. 1/7

There were two main reasons for choosing this particular asteroid:
1. It is one of the largest unnamed main-belt asteroids, at 13 km in diameter, and one of the brightest, reaching 16 mag at a good opposition. I want his fans to have the opportunity to capture images of it. 2/7

2. I wanted it to fit Brady in some way. The orbit of 46925 is such that it is sometimes visible only from the northern, sometimes only from the southern hemisphere. However, it is at its brightest exactly when it can be seen from both hemispheres at once. 3/7

When a friend and I similarly named @standupmaths 314159 Mattparker last year, we asked for anonymity. We weren't sure how this would be received, and I think the attention rightly goes to Matt, Brady, and the folks at Catalina who are doing the hard work finding those rocks. 4/7

I am thankful to both Brady and Matt for how nicely they have handled our request for anonymity in the videos they made about Matt's asteroid (check those out if you haven't seen them!), and also to David Rankin for being available to do an interview with Matt. 5/7

Over the past few weeks, I've concluded that I am okay now with stepping forward. I will continue to protect the identity of the other friend with whom I came up with the name for Matt's asteroid, until they decide it is time. 6/7

Contratulations to Brady, and enjoy your new piece of real estate among the stars! 7/7

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