Belgian Astronomers Pay Tribute to David Bowie With New Constellation

Seven stars in the vicinity of Mars form 'Aladdin Sane' lightning bolt

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January 17, 2016

Belgian Astronomers Pay Tribute to David Bowie With New Constellation

Belgian astronomers have paid tribute to David Bowie with a constellation of seven stars the form the ‘Aladdin Sane’ lightning bolt. http://stardustforbowie.be

Belgian astronomers have gazed skyward to find a fitting way to pay tribute to David BowieÂ following the rock legend’s death at 69,Â dedicating a constellation to the self-proclaimed “Starman.” The constellation boasts seven stars that, when connected, form the iconic lightning bolt seen on the cover of Bowie’s Aladdin Sane. The interstellar tribute, which appropriately features celestial bodies in the vicinity of Mars, was engineered by Belgium’s MIRA Public Observatory and the radio station Studio Brussels, PSFK reports.

Philippe Mollet of MIRA Public Observatory explained in a statement, “It was not easy to determine the appropriate stars. Studio Brussels asked us to give Bowie a unique place in the galaxy. Referring to his various albums, we chose seven stars””Sigma Librae, Spica, Alpha Virginis, Zeta Centauri, SAA 204 132, and the Beta Sigma Octantis Trianguli Australis””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.”The lightning-shaped constellation is just one part of the astronomical tribute to the late rocker, who passed away January 10th following a battle with cancer. A Google Sky initiativeÂ dubbed Stardust for BowieÂ allows fans to create personal tributes within the constellation’s borders, whether it’s naming a favorite song or leaving a short message to remember Bowie’s legacy. Together, each of those tributes combine to brighten the interior of the constellation, making it easy to pinpoint in theÂ Google Sky galaxy.

“An incredible amount of tributes to David Bowie are taking place around the globe this weekend, through every form of the media and using just about every imaginable medium there is,” Bowie’s official Facebook wroteÂ Saturday morning. “Sadly there are way too many to list here, a Google search of ‘David Bowie tribute’ returned around 86 million results.” Bowie’s Facebook also made special mention of Arcade Fire’s planned tribute parade today in New Orleans.

Daniel Kreps