Academician Wang Dazhong of Tsinghua University, who received the 2020 State Preeminent Science and Technology Award, China's most prestigious science and technology award, now has an asteroid named after him.

An asteroid discovered in 1995 was officially named after Wang by the International Astronomical Union’s Working Group Small Body Nomenclature (WGSBN). The announcement was made by the WGSBN in its latest bulletin.

According to the WGSBN Bulletin, the asteroid Wangdazhong, coded 192353, was discovered on October 14, 1995, by the Beijing Schmidt CCD Asteroid Program at the Xinglong Observatory.

Former President of Tsinghua University, Wang Dazhong is one of the distinguished nuclear scientists in the world who has played a key role in China's nuclear energy development, and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Science who has devoted decades of efforts to advancing innovation in advanced nuclear energy systems featured with inherent safety.

Among his many outstanding accomplishments were the research, design, construction, and operation of the world's first Low Temperature Nuclear Heating Reactor (NHR-5) and the first modular High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTR-10). High temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGR) together with its successor, the very high temperature reactor, is one of the six nuclear energy systems identified and selected by the Generation IV International Forum for further development.

As President of Tsinghua University from 1994 to 2003, he led the top-level design of reform and development strategies at Tsinghua and implemented them, strengthening Tsinghua’s position as one of the best universities in the world.

The naming of the asteroid in his honor marks further recognition of his outstanding contribution to scientific and technological innovation.

Writers: Sangeet, Guo Lili

Editor: John Olbrich