The name of the Scottish writer Iain Banks called asteroid

The name of the Scottish writer Iain Banks, who died last month from cancer, was named an asteroid, writes The Guardian.

The decision to name the asteroid after Banks took Dr. Jose Luis Galash of the Minor Planet Center, when he learned that the writer is terminally ill.

"I thought, what can I help Mr. Banks, and the answer lay at the surface to give him an asteroid," - said Galash. He suggested that the writer would have been nice to have your own celestial body.

The astronomer also said that he met with Banks at a young age at the autograph session. According Galash, meeting with the writer and his fantastic stories about travel in space, inspired by the future expert on asteroid research.

Iain Banks died of cancer in early June at the age of 59 years. Two months before that, he announced that he was terminally ill with cancer of the pancreas and is unlikely to survive until the end of the year.

342953 153037 365099 778733 818206 475200 312658 712550 349905 456594 341549 290093 537365 725328 446353 826974 173317 728324 778673 367054 443962 243853 247244 603324 266065 134856 515803 858713 468253 549725 821664 406761 184586 617521 535603 309413 915402 641826 837846 974656 398530 505164 834277 500658 568036 772310 425247 450019 944000 894663 500529 831155 286970 930550 741261 910374 408338 965795 796243 799297 640908 736262 837017 974007 725994 944378 974206 715218 561101 273316 482191 621655 227887 243705 186488 197954 676445 842962 463924 820094 572187 584177 151623 247989 876608 223018 704009 721236 879921 177620 794836 981001 388727 440414 146195 890475 445904 308269 617866