Larry Sessions is proposing that a massive stellar explosion which was visible on earth during the early hours of March 19th--shortly after the death of Arthur C. Clarke--be named in honor of this science fiction grandmaster. I totally support this proposal and urge others to do the same.
As Sessions says:
I propose that henceforth we refer to the March 19 gamma ray blast, officially designated GRB 080319B, as the "Clarke event" in honor of Sir Arthur. Was it the Universe reacting to the loss of this great man? No, as he himself would have told you, although likely not without prefacing it with a mischievous grin and an allusion to the gods being angry with him. No it wasn't the Universe mourning Sir Arthur. Instead, at its enormous distance, the light from this event formed and left on its journey long before Earth was born, presumably also making it the oldest event ever witnessed by humans. But what more fitting an honor for Sir Arthur?
For the record, NASA said this explosion was "the most intrinsically bright object ever observed by humans in the universe." I can think of no better tribute than to name this event for Clarke, who brought more illumination to humanity than most ordinary writers can even dream of doing.
