New Asteroid Named After Grand Canyon Park Ranger

Have you ever looked up into the night sky and wondered about the names of all those stars, asteroids, and comets? Well just recently, a National Park Ranger who has been working to preserve our views of these night skies has received the honor of having a newly discovered asteroid named after him!

Lowell Observatory officially named a newly discovered asteroid in honor of Grand Canyon National Park Dark Sky Ranger, Rader Lane—forever etching his name into the cosmos. Say hello to the newest asteroid, 30280 RaderLane! The announcement, made by Kevin Schindler, Historian and Public Information Officer at Lowell Observatory, came during a heartwarming ceremony surrounded by friends, colleagues, and fellow stargazers at this year’s Grand Canyon Star Party. 

This is a big deal for the astronomy community, with Rader's efforts featured in a recently published piece by Dave Eicher, Editor-in-Chief of Astronomy Magazine, "Years ago, three big star parties dominated plans for astronomy enthusiasts in the United States. They were Stellafane, Riverside, and the Texas Star Party. Stellafane and the TSP are still chugging along, and sadly, the Riverside event is no more. But another huge player has been building for more than three decades now, and it is the largest star party in the country — the Grand Canyon Star Party. "

Rader has been a driving force behind the park’s Dark Skies Preservation Programs, helping Grand Canyon earn its designation as an International Dark Sky Park and coordinating the annual Star Party event— the largest of its kind in the country. 

“Thank you to Kevin and Lowell Observatory for your partnership and support for Grand Canyon and the Dark Skies Program,” Rader shared. “This was a night I will never forget—not least for the honor of having been presented to me by a friend and colleague whom I greatly admire, but also for having so many of my favorite people in the park there to witness and show support.”

Grand Canyon Conservancy is honored to support Grand Canyon National Park's efforts to engage and educate the public on the importance of dark skies, and is excited to share this special recognition of Rader Lane.