Gift from space for Shanghai Normal University
The orbit of the Shanghaishida asteroid
For faculty and students of Shanghai Normal University, today's Teachers' Day and Mid-Autumn Festival is special as they received a huge gift from space – an asteroid named after the university.
It was discovered in an asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter by the Beijing Schmidt CCD Asteroid Program on January 18, 1998.
The university, founded in 1954, submitted an application for a name to the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in April as it will celebrate its 70th anniversary in two years and wishes to further promote its strength in astronomy.
The university established its master's and PhD programs in astronomy in 2004 and 2021. It's one of the earliest universities in Shanghai to cultivate postgraduate study in the field. With two key city-level laboratories and a world-class sub-millimeter telescope, it has made great contributions to astronomic research and related talent cultivation in the past years.
The National Astronomical Observatories then applied to the International Astronomical Union's Working Group on Small Bodies Nomenclature to name the asteroid "Shanghaishida," a shortened version of its Chinese name.
The bulletin and certificate for naming the 91001 asteroid "Shanghaishida"
Approval was announced at the bulletin of WGSBN in June.
On Friday, right before the two holidays, Chang Jin, director of the National Astronomical Observatories, handed the official certificate, a plaque with its route and a copy of the bulletin to Yuan Wen, president of the university.
The statement on the bulletin said Shanghai Normal University deserved the honor as it's "a high-level comprehensive university in Shanghai with liberal arts, natural sciences, engineering sciences and fine arts, featuring strengths in teacher training."
Its asteroid number is 91001, in which "100" coincides with the addresses of the university's two campuses – 100 Guilin Road in Xuhui District and 100 Haisi Road in Fengxian District.
"It's a special Teachers' Day gift for us," said Yuan. "It takes the asteroid four years to orbit the sun, which is also the period for us to train an undergraduate. With the Shanghaishida minor planet, I believe the future of Shanghai Normal University will be starry by persistently promoting education."
The planet is invisible to the human eye.
The route of Shanghaishida
