David Bowie’s alter-ego Aladdin Sane, from the 1973 record of the same name, has taken on a new meaning. In tribute to the passing of the rock legend, a constellation in the shape of his iconic Aladdin Sane lightning bolt has been registered in his honor.
Belgian radio station Studio Brussels and MIRA Public Observatory worked together to give him the 89th official constellation in space according to PSFK.
“Studio Brussels asked us to give Bowie a unique place in the galaxy. Referring to his various albums, we chose seven stars—Sigma Librae, Spica, Alpha Virginis, Zeta Centauri, SAA 204 132, and the Beta Sigma Octantis Trianguli Australis—in the vicinity of Mars,” said MIRA employee Philippe Mollet in a statement. “The constellation is a copy of the iconic Bowie lightning and was recorded at the exact time of his death.”
In a related project, the constellation is linked to a Google Sky virtual constellation called Stardust for Bowie which gives fans the opportunity to memorialize the singer. After clicking inside the virtual constellation, users can pick their favorite Bowie song and leave a short note. The image will get brighter every day as more and more fans add to the constellation.
The forward-thinking musician and artist has had a long association with the universe. Many of his songs, like Starman, Space Oddity, Life on Mars? and others directly reference the cosmos. In Nicolas Roeg’s 1976 British sci-fi drama The Man Who Fell to Earth, Bowie also played a visitor from space.
And astronaut Chris Hatfield even performed an acoustic cover of Space Oddity while floating around the International Space Station.
Now, his legacy has become part of the way we perceive the stars themselves. We always knew you were otherworldly, Bowie.
