David Bowie tribute: Belgian astronomers name constellation after late rock star

A constellation comprising of seven stars that forms an image of a lightning bolt has been named after late rock icon David Bowie. Belgian astronomers chose the seven stars to pay tribute, as the singer in his Aladdin Sane album cover can be seen with a lightning bolt painted across his face.

The constellation that sits in the vicinity of Mars was registered by MIRA Public Observatory and Belgian music station Studio Brussels. "It was not easy to determine the appropriate stars. Studio Brussels asked us to give Bowie a unique place in the galaxy," Philippe Mollet from the MIRA Observatory was quoted as saying by ABC news.

"Referring to his various albums, we chose seven stars — Sigma Librae, Spica, Alpha Virginis, Zeta Centauri, SAA 204 132, and the Beta Sigma Octantis Trianguli Australis — in the vicinity of Mars. The constellation is a copy of the iconic Bowie lightning and was recorded at the exact time of his death," Mollet said.

The constellation is just one of many tributes that have been bestowed on the late rock star. An online tribute project called Stardust for Bowie, developed by Google Sky, allows Bowie fans to write personal notes and attach their favourite Bowie songs within a virtual constellation.

The US has paid tribute to Bowie in its own way. His final album, Blackstar, which was released two days before his death, scored number one in the country's music charts. Blackstar is the only Bowie album that has topped the US album charts.

"An incredible amount of tributes to David Bowie are taking place around the globe this weekend, through every form of the media and using just about every imaginable medium there is," a post on Bowie's official Facebook page read on 16 January.

Bowie had been living in New York for the past two decades. He died on 10 January at the age of 69, after an 18-month battle with cancer.