An asteroid has been named after British singer Freddie Mercury to mark what would have been his 70th birthday.
The Minor Planet Centre at the International Astronomical Union, based in the US, made the announcement.
Asteroid 17473, now to be called 'Freddiemercury', was discovered back in 1991 - the year Mercury died.
Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara in 1946.
He was a singer-songwriter and lead singer for the legendary rock group 'Queen'.
Look who's 70...
— Freddie Mercury (@MercuryMOTG) September 4, 2016
His distinctive sound and large vocal range were hallmarks of his performance style, and he is regarded as one of the greatest rock singers of all time.
His latest greatest hits album, 'Messenger Of The Gods - The Singles', was released on September 2nd.
Asteroid 'Freddiemercury' is a 3.5km-wide ball of black rubble on the other side of Mars.
Asteroid Freddiemercury (circled) leaping through the sky like a tiger
There have been a total of 1,114 observations of the phenomenon.
The band's guitarist Brian May announced the honour at a ceremony last night.
