Child's drawing of Asteroid Hempel
Child's drawing of Asteroid Hempel
The International Astronomical Union has named an asteroid in orbit between Mars and Jupiter after Rolf Hempel. It was discovered in the early 1970s, has a diameter of six kilometres and was previously known by the sober name '3064 T-1'.
Hempel's son has immortalised the celestial body in a drawing which hangs on his office wall. The planets are painted in vibrant gold against the blackness of space. 'Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars' is written in a child's handwriting, along with 'Hempel'. The nine-year-old has positioned it precisely in his drawing; the asteroid lies between Mars and Jupiter. "It's not a giant, but anyway," says Hempel.
