SOPHIE fans successfully petition for asteroid to be re-named in her memory

SOPHIE, the late electronic artist and producer, has had an asteroid named after her. The move came after fans started a petition to lobby the International Astronomical Union’s Working Group Small Body Nomenclature (WGSBN) to change the name of planet TOI-1338 b after SOPHIE as its pastel-colored surface was similar to the album art for Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides.

The WGSBN instead opted for the RE1 asteroid, which is now named "Sophiexeon. The circumbinary exoplanet was first discovered in 1980 by Antonín Mrkos at the Kleť Observatory in the Czech Republic.

“SOPHIE was known as an electronic music pioneer whose futuristic style changed the landscape of pop music in the early 21st century,” the IAU said in a statement. “SOPHIE has influenced so many of us, and now she will forever be part of the cosmos,” Christian Arroyo, who started the petition, added.

SOPHIE passed away in January of last year after a fall at home in Athens, Greece. The late star's brother subsequently revealed he is working on completing a number of projects left behind by his sister.