This article printed in Minot Daily News, which announces that an asteroid has recently been named for North Dakota, is one of the most interesting news pieces I’ve read all week. 

From the article:

University of North Dakota graduate student Vishnu Reddy discovered the celestial rock in 2003, using a telescope at an observatory in Arizona.

Reddy, a native of India, said he proposed naming the asteroid for North Dakota to honor the state and to bring attention to its lack of a big telescope necessary to track the heavens.

”It’s sad, simply because the state has a lot of dark skies because there are no people here – and that’s good for astronomy,” he said. ”There is not a state observatory or a state observator and no big telescope.”

Believe it or not, pieces of asteroids seem to have had an impact on our energy industry.  According to the article, every known spot where an asteroid piece has hit North Dakota now produces oil.  With all the oil activity going on right now, it’s apparent that asteroids have had a big impact on the state.  Hahaha!

I’m very pleased to see an asteroid named for North Dakota.  I have often wished we had an observatory or a planetarium here.  Maybe this will set us on the right road for getting one!

More from the article:

A Feb. 17 ceremony is planned in Bismarck to present Gov. John Hoeven with a citation naming the asteroid, Reddy said.

”I think it’s a nice honor,” Hoeven said. ”Clearly, Vishnu is very accomplished and has a real talent at finding these things.”