T ributes to the legendary Aretha Franklin, who touched millions of lives as the Queen of Soul, keep pouring in. The music icon, who passed away on Thursday (Aug. 19), has now been honored by NASA. RELATED: Here’s Everything We Know About Aretha Franklin Tributes And Funeral Arrangements The federal agency took to Twitter and referenced an asteroid that it named after the singer, who died at the age of 76 in Detroit last week after struggling with advanced pancreatic cancer. Officials showed their R-E-S-P-E-C-T to Franklin. “We’re saddened by the loss of Aretha Franklin,” a tweet from NASA’s official account said. “Asteroid 249516 Aretha, found by our NEOWISE mission and named after the singer to commemorate the #QueenOfSoul, will keep orbiting beyond Mars.” 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 The asteroid was first found in 2001 and was classified as an asteroid by the NEOWISE project in February 2010, according to NASA. The space matter, measuring just under three miles across and orbiting between Mars and Jupiter, was named after Franklin in 2014. Officials predict that 249516 Aretha will likely orbit around the sun for eternity, as long as it doesn’t crash into other space matter. Its orbit time to make one trip around the sun is about five-and-a-half years, according to The Atlantic . The official NASA Moon Twitter account also featured a tribute to Franklin. “We’re sad to hear about the #QueenofSoul passing,” the tweet said. “Rock steady Aretha. 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 A funeral for Franklin will take place on Aug. 31 in Detroit, the icon’s publicist Gwendolyn Quinn said, according to CNN . The service will start at 10 a.m. ET at Greater Grace Temple. Public viewings will be held on Aug. 28 and 29 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. Franklin will be entombed at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit. SEE ALSO: Here’s What Happened To A White American Who Went On A Racist Rant In Africa Don’t Believe The Hype About Black Folks Supporting Trump, Analyst Says [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3769461″ overlay=”true”]
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Aretha Franklin Celebrated In Space? NASA Has Honored The Queen Of Soul
