Two Armagh sky-watchers now have asteroids named for them

Two people at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium have asteroids named for them. BBC News reported the honors on November 1, 2026. Rok Nežič, who grew up in Slovenia and arrived in 2015 to finish a doctorate in space and climate physics, now leads tours and outreach. His asteroid is (20560) Nežič, about 10.9 kilometers across. He said it sits in the asteroid belt, going around the sun as Earth does. The number is the order in which it was found. He does not know which of the people who nominated him, his PhD supervisor and a former astronomer at the observatory, the namers listened to. He studied comets with polarised light.

Shane Kelly, the principal meteorological observer, has taken the daily readings for 27 years, opening the Stevenson screen and writing temperatures into a handwritten ledger. Director Michael Burton said Kelly has probably observed the weather more than anyone else, and that his hand has entered more lines than any of 17 predecessors. Kelly's asteroid, (7050) Shanekelly, is about 15.6 kilometers across and was discovered in Chile in 1982. The International Astronomical Union governs the names once an orbit is known well enough. Burton said 29 asteroids now have some connection to Armagh. The planetarium plans an LED dome that will show these orbits. The rocks remain in space. The honor is the names, not a visit.