Asteroid naming test for global students

NASA recently opened a contest for students around the world to name an asteroid that NASA is about to fly in 2016.

Near asteroid Earth (101955) 1999 RQ36

The competition lasts from September 2 to December 2012, for students under the age of 18, anywhere in the world.

Each candidate will have to correctly name the asteroid (101955) 1999 RQ36 near the Earth with a name up to 16 characters long. Entries must include a short explanation and a reason for naming.

Submissions will be submitted by the adult student through the instructional form on the website: http://www.planetary.org/get-involved/contests/osirisrex/enter.html

After reviewing the asteroid name and ranking, the first prize will be given to students who are named by the International Astronomical Society Committee.

The asteroid (101955) 1999 RQ36, about 500 meters in diameter, was discovered on September 11, 1999 through NASA's Near-Earth Planetary Observation Program. It is expected that by 2016, NASA will use the spacecraft to fly to this planet to take samples of the Earth to study.

Learning about the RQ36 asteroids may provide a clue about the origins of the solar system and that organic molecules may have seeded life on Earth. In addition to RQ36, NASA also plans to explore another asteroid in 2025.