David Bowie Has Had A Constellation Named "Starman" After Him

Astronomers have registered a lightning-bolt-shaped group of stars in a cosmic tribute to the great singer.

David Bowie has had a constellation named after him.

http://www.davidbowie.com/album/aladdin-sane-0

http://stardustforbowie.be/

The 69-year-old singer died of cancer last week.

MIRA, a Belgian astronomical observatory, and a radio station have registered the constellation in Bowie's memory.

Stardust for Bowie / Via stardustforbowie.be

The seven stars in the constellation are Sigma Librae, Spica, Alpha Virginis, Zeta Centauri, SAA 204 132, and the Beta Sigma Octantis Trianguli Australis.

The constellation is called "Starman" and is in the shape of the lightning bolt Bowie wore on his face on the front cover of his album Aladdin Sane.

RCA / David Bowie / Brian Duffy

The stars were chosen because they were in the region of Mars at the moment of Bowie's death, in tribute to Bowie's breakthrough album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

RCA / David Bowie / Via en.wikipedia.org

"It was not easy to determine the appropriate stars," Philippe Mollet from MIRA said in a statement. "Studio Brussels asked us to give Bowie a unique place in the galaxy. Referring to his various albums, we chose seven stars … in the vicinity of Mars. The constellation is a copy of the iconic Bowie lightning and was recorded at the exact time of his death. "

Fans can add their personal tributes on the Stardust for Bowie website.

You can leave a short message and your favourite Bowie song, and it will appear on the site in the form of a star in the constellation.

CORRECTION

Jan. 19, 2016, at 11:56 AM

The Starman constellation – technically an "asterism" – is unofficial, selected by the MIRA Public Observatory, not registered with the International Astronomical Union. An earlier version of this piece used the term "officially".