Two asteroids named after Gabriela Silang, Princess Urduja

Two asteroids have been named after legendary Filipina heroes!

According to infectious diseases specialist and molecular biologist Edsel Salvana, two asteroids were now named after Gabriela Silang and Princess Urduja.

On Saturday, Salvana shared on Facebook that as a TED fellow, he had come across Dr. Carrie Nugent, an asteroid hunter and an assistant professor of computational physics and planetary science at Olin College of Engineering in the United States.

He said a few years ago, Nugent asked him to “suggest names of asteroids after strong Filipino female personalities, whether historical or legendary.”

Salvana said that two of the names he suggested were those of revolutionary leader Gabriela Silang and legendary warrior Princess Urduja.

“Carrie wrote me today to tell me these were approved by the International Astronomical Union,” he wrote, sharing photos of the asteroids and a copy of Carrie’s letter dated Dec. 7, 2021.

In the letter, Nugent told Salvana that the International Astronomical Union had named asteroid 5749 Urduja and asteroid 7026 Gabrielasilang.

“These are the official names of these planetary bodies, and will be used in future scientific discussions and articles,” she said.

According to Nugent, (5749) Urduja orbits the sun “on a roughly circular path in the main belt of asteroids, between Mars and Jupiter” and is between 12 to 13 kilometers in diameter.

Meanwhile, (7026) Gabrielasilang also orbits the sun in “the main belt of asteroids, between Mars and Jupiter” and is three kilometers in diameter.

“I am glad to have submitted these names for consideration to the International Astronomical Union. Both Urduja and Maria Josefa Gabriela Cariño de Silang are remarkable for their bravery and strength,” she said. – Kaela Malig/RC, GMA News