SOPHIE's music and legacy will continue to live on forever in the universe—literally.
The WGSBN (Working Group of the International Astronomical Union) recently made an announcement that an asteroid has been permanently renamed after the late electronic music pioneer, whose death following an accidental fall shocked the music community at large in January 2021. The WGSBN is the association that names minor planets and comets.
Shortly after SOPHIE's tragic death, superfan Christian Arroyo launched a Change.org petition to get a planet named after her. After artist illustrations and renditions of exoplanet TOI 1338 b were shared, fans noticed similarities between the drawings and SOPHIE's Every Pearl's Un-Insides album cover art. That's when Arroyo asked the scientists that discovered TOI 1338 b to name it after her.
"Her fans would love to pay homage by having her name be remembered in this way and for her influence to continue to flourish for years to come," stated Arroyo, who asserts SOPHIE's music left "an insurmountable impression on many LGBTQIA+ individuals."
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But those plans fell through, and SOPHIE was ultimately honored with the renaming of 1980 RE1 instead. The comet was discovered in 1980 by Czech astronomer Antonín Mrkos.
"We did it y'all! Sophie has influence so many of us, and now she will forever be part of the cosmos," Arroyo wrote. "I thank every single one of you who signed and shared this petition. The page itself will be kept up as a memorial to the great Sophie Xeon."
Information on Sophiexeon here.
Sophiexeon asteroid orbit in solar system
