Chiayi City’s Lantan Elementary School was on Saturday presented with a plaque reading “Lantan 300150,” in honor of a dwarf planet named after the school.
Lantan 300150 was discovered this year by National Central University’s Lulin Observatory and named in recognition of the school’s contributions to astronomy education.
It is the first dwarf planet to be named after an elementary school. The name was recognized on May 14 by the International Astronomical Union’s Small Bodies Nomenclature working group.
Photo: Ting Wei-chieh, Taipei Times
The plaque was presented by university president Chou Ching-yang (周景揚) to Chiayi Mayor Huang Min-hui (黃敏惠), who accepted it on behalf of the school at an event marking the 48th anniversary of its founding.
Huang said that Lantan Elementary School is renowned for its astronomy curricula, through which it encourages children to utilize their curiosity and imagination.
“We hope that astronomy education for children will continue to flourish, just as the dwarf planet named after the school endures in space,” she said.
Lantan 300150 is assumed to complete its orbit of the sun about every five years, Chou said.
The Lulin Observatory has discovered more than 800 minor planets since 2002, of which 40 have been named, he said.
The university looks forward to further collaboration with the school to deepen astronomy education and to kindle students’ passion for the subject, Chou said.
Chiayi City Astronomy Association chairwoman Chuang Ming-chuan (莊明娟) said that Lantan Elementary School has made substantial efforts in promoting astronomy in its curricula over the past three decades.
Nearly 200 volunteers take about 6,000 children to the association to learn about astronomy each year, and these efforts have been successful as interest in astronomy continues to rise, she said.
Taiwan is stepping up plans to create self-sufficient supply chains for combat drones and increase foreign orders from the US to counter China’s numerical superiority, a defense official said on Saturday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said the nation’s armed forces are in agreement with US Admiral Samuel Paparo’s assessment that Taiwan’s military must be prepared to turn the nation’s waters into a “hellscape” for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Paparo, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, reiterated the concept during a Congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. He first coined the term in a security conference last
Prosecutors today declined to say who was questioned regarding alleged forgery on petitions to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators, after Chinese-language media earlier reported that members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Youth League were brought in for questioning. The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau confirmed that two people had been questioned, but did not disclose any further information about the ongoing investigation. KMT Youth League members Lee Hsiao-liang (李孝亮) and Liu Szu-yin (劉思吟) — who are leading the effort to recall DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) and Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) — both posted on Facebook saying: “I
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,912) for advertisements that exceed its approved business scope, requiring the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license may be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter enforcement of Chinese e-commerce platforms and measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan in response to US President Donald Trump’s heavy tariffs on China. The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee met today to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) said
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,900) for advertisements that exceeded its approved business scope and ordered the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license would be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter supervision of Chinese e-commerce platforms and more stringent measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan as US President Donald Trump’s administration cracks down on origin laundering. The legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday met to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report on the matter. Democratic Progressive Party
RSS