Dutch Rooftop Astronomer Gets Asteroid Named After Her
A woman who hunts for space dust on rooftops and streets just got her own asteroid. The 1.5-kilometer rock orbiting between Mars and Jupiter now bears her name.
Astrid Eeuwes spent a decade teaching people about the cosmos and searching Nijmegen rooftops for tiny grains of space dust. Now the 45-year-old amateur astronomer has her own asteroid to show for it.
The International Astronomical Union officially renamed asteroid 2018 BS7 as (585349) Eeuwes on Monday. The 1.5-kilometer rock orbits between Mars and Jupiter, joining an exclusive club of celestial objects named after Dutch icons.
For ten years, Eeuwes volunteered at the Bussloo observatory in Gelderland, examining micrometeorites she collected from everyday surfaces. She transformed her passion into public outreach, giving lectures and sharing her discoveries on social media.
Her dedication earned recognition in 2023 when the Royal Dutch astronomy and meteorology association awarded her a prize for her education work. Marco Langbroek, who discovered the asteroid in October 2012 while working at TU Delft, nominated her for the honor.
The news came as a complete surprise. "A colleague sent me a WhatsApp this afternoon to congratulate me, but we tease each other a lot and I didn't know anything yet, so at first I didn't quite believe it," Eeuwes told broadcaster NOS.
When the official email arrived, reality set in. She's been flooded with congratulations ever since.
Why This Inspires
Eeuwes proves you don't need a PhD or fancy credentials to make a real mark on science. She turned curiosity into expertise, one rooftop at a time, and inspired countless people along the way.
Her work reminds us that cosmic wonders exist right above our heads. Those tiny grains of space dust she hunts are fragments of asteroids and comets, bringing the universe to our doorsteps.
She joins an eclectic group of Dutch asteroid namesakes including Anne Frank, Vincent van Gogh, Rembrandt, Johan Cruijff, and Queens Wilhelmina and Juliana. Not bad company for someone who started as an amateur with a passion.
Eeuwes had always dreamed of this moment. "I always thought, 'when I grow up, that would be nice,'" she said. "But this is fantastic. It's the crowning achievement of my work."
She's already planning her next project: photographing her namesake asteroid with very good equipment, since it's faint but within reach.
Based on reporting by Dutch News
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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