Minor planet named after China's top medical scientist Zhong Nanshan

GUANGZHOU, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- A minor planet has been named after Chinese medical scientist Zhong Nanshan in recognition of his contribution to science at a ceremony held Friday in south China's Guangdong Province.

The minor planet, coded 325136, was first discovered in 2008 by the Purple Mountain Observatory under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with an orbital eccentricity of 0.199, an orbital inclination of 13.159 degrees, and an orbital semi-major diameter of 2.541 astronomical units. The average distance from the minor planet to the sun is 373 million kilometers, and it takes 4.05 years for the planet to circle the sun.

Zhao Changyin, head of the observatory, presented Zhong the statement published by the Minor Planet Center under the International Astronomical Union at the naming ceremony held in the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, the city of Zhuhai.

Several applications of medical science in public health emergencies have proved that scientific research is the most powerful weapon we can rely on to protect human health in the face of uncertainty, Zhong said, adding that the naming is not only his personal glory but also a commendation and affirmation of the team's work.