In a move that proves outer space is getting weirder, scientists have officially designated two main-belt asteroids after comedic music icons "Weird Al" Yankovic and the late satirist Tom Lehrer. The International Astronomical Union approved the names (14330) Tomlehrer and (14331) Alyankovic following a proposal led by astrophysicists who argued that both legends have entertained and inspired the scientific community for decades.
The initiative was spearheaded by Arizona State University astrophysicist Steve Desch after he reflected on the legacy of Tom Lehrer. Noting that Yankovic frequently cited Lehrer as a major influence on his own parody hits like "White & Nerdy," Desch and fellow researchers realized that pairing the two musicians sequentially in the night sky was a fitting tribute. The two giant rocks reside between Mars and Jupiter and complete their orbits around the Sun roughly every four years.
Upon learning of his new celestial namesake, Weird Al expressed profound appreciation alongside his signature wit, remarking that it was perhaps the greatest honor of his career while adding he just hoped it wasn't the asteroid that ultimately destroys Earth. Planetary scientist Allison McGraw even presented Yankovic with an official certificate and a real meteorite composed of the same S-type material as his distant space rock during a tour stop in Arizona.