Bengaluru: The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) Bengaluru said on Friday that the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has named an asteroid after renowned Indian astrophysicist Jayant Murthy in recognition of his pioneering work in ultraviolet astronomy and space missions. The asteroid, previously known as “2005 EX296,” has now been designated “(215884) Jayantmurthy” by the IAU Working Group on Small Body Nomenclature. The Sun orbits between Mars and Jupiter, completing one revolution every 3.3 years. Murthy, who retired from IIA in 2021 and continues as an honorary professor, expressed his satisfaction. “I am delighted to have an asteroid named after me in connection with my work on NASA’s New Horizons science team to observe ultraviolet background radiation in the universe,” he said. The name recognizes Murthy’s contributions to the New Horizons mission, which studied Pluto. in unprecedented detail during its flyby in 2015 and has since ventured deeper into the Kuiper Belt, the IIA said. His research focuses on measuring the ultraviolet cosmic background, a task best accomplished from the outer Solar System, where interference from the Sun and the interplanetary medium is minimized. Annapurni Subramaniam, director of the IIA, called the asteroid’s naming “a very rare honor.” Murthy joins the ranks of former IIA directors MK Vainu Bappu and JC Bhattacharyya, who also have asteroids named after him. Joice Mathew, a former student of Murthy currently at Mount Stromlo Observatory in Australia, echoed the praise. “This recognition is undoubtedly well-deserved,” Mathew said, adding that all those familiar with Murthy must be “delighted to know that there is now a ‘Jayantmurthy’ in heaven.”
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