Paying Respect: NASA Says Asteroid will Honour Aretha Franklin’s Unforgettable Legacy

We’re saddened by the loss of Aretha Franklin. Asteroid 249516 Aretha, found by our NEOWISE mission and named after the singer to commemorate the #QueenOfSoul, will keep orbiting beyond Mars. See more details: https://t.co/NlW4vkmKDq pic.twitter.com/yZ0E5ofSQT

— NASA (@NASA) August 16, 2018

Aretha Franklin’s legacy lives on in outer space

Thursday NASA tweeted Aretha Franklin is still grooving and she’s in outer space. Well, sort of.

Nasa referenced Asteroid 249516, also known as Aretha.  NASA said Aretha will “keep orbiting beyond Mars.” Aretha the asteroid was first detected in 2001 and designated in 2010. They named it after the Queen of Soul in 2014. Aretha measures three miles across and it travels between Mars and Jupiter. She takes about five and a half years to make one trip around the sun.  So, as long as the queen of outer space doesn’t crash, we’ll have her hanging with the stars forever.

From your steady rock out in space.

We're very sad to hear about the #QueenofSoul passing. Rock Steady Aretha.
From your steady rock out in space. pic.twitter.com/1rbBRlRUW7

— NASA Moon (@NASAMoon) August 16, 2018

Watch Aretha Franklin orbit the earth

Aretha Franklin’s granddaughter posted a clip of her singing at home before she died

Back down on earth, several months before Aretha Franklin passed, her granddaughter, Victoria Franklin, captured Aretha playing piano and singing at home. Victoria posted the footage Thursday. “Today we lost an icon, a legend, but today I lost my grandma. I love u and imma make u proud,” she tweeted.

Our own Alan Cross posted the video clip here. Take a look below.

https://twitter.com/TDirt__/status/1030121065610129408

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