Freddie Mercury was born on Sep. 5, 1946, which means that today would've been his 70th birthday. To celebrate these seven decades of Mercury, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) renamed the 17473 asteroid in honor to the singer.

The news was given by Brian May, Guitarist of Queen, in Switzerland, during a remembrance event in honor of Freddie Mercury. "This is to recognize the impressive influence Freddie has had in the world," said the musician.

The IAU stated that they decided to give the asteroid the singer's name to "his distinctive sound and great vocal range, which were his mark in music; besides, he's seen as one of the most famous rock singers of all time."

The asteroid was discovered in 1991, same year in which Freddie Mercury passed away.

"Even if you can't see Freddie Mercury traveling the sky, we can be sure he's floating around in ecstasy, just as he would've sung for millennia," said Joel Parker from the Research Institute of Southwest, who was in charge of giving the designation certificate.

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Translated by: cristinamora@sandiegored.com