🚀🌱 Hey space and science fans! Today, December 30, 2025, the Institute of Botany at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IBCAS) announced that an asteroid has been officially named after Kuang Tingyun, the trailblazing botanist behind decades of photosynthesis research.
🌟 Kuang Tingyun has spent her career decoding the secrets of how plants turn sunlight into energy. Her work paved the way for greener agriculture and renewable energy ideas—from rice paddies in Southeast Asia to community gardens in our cities—so naming a rock floating in space after her feels like the perfect cosmic shout-out!
📅 The naming ceremony took place yesterday, December 29, after the International Astronomical Union (IAU) gave the green light. It’s a rare honor: the IAU only approves a handful of asteroid names each year, and now one of them carries Kuang's name across the solar system.
🔭 For all you budding scientists and eco-warriors, this news shows how botany and astronomy can collide in epic ways. Who knows? Maybe your next research project could join Kuang's name among the stars!
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
