An asteroid has been named after pioneering producer SOPHIE

An asteroid has been named after the late producer SOPHIE following a petition addressed to NASA last year.

While the petition to rename a planet after the artist was not successful, even after garnering some 95,000 signatures, The International Astronomical Union has now commemorated the artist with a newly discovered asteroid - now known as "Sophie Xeon."

The name change went ahead last June following the discovery and was shared earlier this week in a new update.

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“Sophie Xeon (1986–2021), known as SOPHIE, was a highly influential Scottish singer, songwriter, and producer,” reads the official documentation to go alongside the recently discovered asteroid.

“SOPHIE was known as an electronic music pioneer whose futuristic style changed the landscape of pop music in the early 21st century,” it continues.

The announcement was made by Christian Arroyo, the creator of the original petition pushing for NASA to rename planet TOI 1338 b after SOPHIE. The call was launched last year and was signed and supported by Charli XCX.

“Sophie has influenced so many of us, and now she will forever be part of the cosmos. I thank every single one of you who signed and shared this petition, which itself will be kept up as a memorial to the great Sophie Xeon,” Arroyo shared in an update to the previous petition.

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Previously known as RE1, the newly named Sophie Xeon asteroid was discovered by Antonín Mrkos at the Kleť Observatory in the Czech Republic.

“I was sadly not made aware of this naming until today, but we did it y’all,” Arroyo added to the original petition titled ‘Name TOI-1338 b in honour of SOPHIE’.

PC Music and hyperpop pioneer SOPHIE passed away on January 30, 2021, following an accidental fall in Athens, Greece. The iconic artist has since been commemorated with murals, posthumous awards, and a repress of her debut EP, ‘Nothing More To Say’.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter