An asteroid discovered by a Hong Kong-born astronomer has been named after a firefighter who died in the city’s deadliest blaze in decades, with his fiancée expressing gratitude for a move that turned him into an eternal “star”.
Ho Wai‑ho, 37, was killed in the Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po last November while helping to evacuate residents.
To honour his sacrifice, amateur astronomer William Yeung Kwong-yu, a former president of the Hong Kong Astronomical Society, has named asteroid 34871 “Howaiho” after him.
Yeung, a Hong Kong‑born Canadian, has become one of the world’s most prolific discoverers of asteroids and is credited with finding more than 2,000 minor planets.
He discovered the asteroid on October 18, 2001, at his privately built Desert Eagle Observatory in the United States.
The International Astronomical Union’s Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature formally approved the name this month, noting Ho’s courage and dedication in rescue operations.
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