Make It So: NASA Names Newly Discovered Asteroid After Star Trek’s Wil Wheaton Aka Wesley Crusher

The folks over at NASA also have a soft spot for Wheaton, as they have announced that an asteroid found traveling amongst the constellation Canis Minor has been named in his honor. What was previously known as Asteroid 391257 has been renamed to 391257 Wilwheaton. NASA didn’t just name the asteroid after Wheaton for his sci-fi credentials, but also for his “long track record of supporting various charity organizations” including the Pasadena Humane Society and Project UROK.

Asteroid 391257 has been named in honor of Wil Wheaton. Congratulations Wil!@wilw @WilliamShatner @StarTrek pic.twitter.com/PbfnInLV1D

— Ron Baalke (@RonBaalke) January 18, 2017

Wheaton joins other Star Trek alumni like series creator Gene Roddenberry along with TOS legends George Takei and Nichelle Nichols, who all have asteroids named after them (4659 Roddenberry, 7307 Takei and 68410 Nichols respectively).

It should come as no surprise that Wheaton was honored by NASA’s announcement, and he took to his blog to express gratitude. “Today, I found out that I kind of get to be in space and live right here on Earth … because an asteroid has been named after me. It’s asteroid 391257, and it’s currently in Canis Minor.

“As soon as it gets dark here, I’m going to walk out into my backyard, look up into the sky, just a little above Sirius, and know that, even though I can’t see it with my naked eye, it’s out there, and it’s named after me.”

That’s all well and good, but I think that we all know what Captain Jean Luc Picard would say to Wesley Crusher at a time like this…