On September 30, a celestial tribute was given to Master Cheng Yen as an asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter, was officially named in her honor, 555802 Chengyen. Researchers from National Central University’s Lulin Observatory, including former Minister of Education Wei-Ling Chiang, NCU President Jing-Yang Jou, and Lulin Observatory Director Hong-Chin Lin, personally visited the Jing Si Abode in Hualien to present Master Cheng Yen with a commemorative plaque. This recognition celebrates Master Cheng Yen’s tireless dedication to society, alongside Tzu Chi volunteers’ commitment to selflessness and public service.
Former Minister of Education Wei-Ling Chiang praised Master Cheng Yen for leading the Tzu Chi community in embodying compassion, joy, and selfless giving, touching countless lives. NCU President Jing-Yang Jou emphasized that, while Asteroid 555802 travels hundreds of millions of kilometers away from Earth, its presence serves as a beacon of Master Cheng Yen’s spirit that will shine on forever. He further highlighted that Tzu Chi’s core values—compassion and wisdom—drive its mission to extend care to everyone in need. With Master Cheng Yen as a living example, Tzu Chi’s work spans disaster relief, medical assistance, environmental protection, and support for the underprivileged. The naming of this asteroid represents the hope that these values will continue to inspire generations to come.
Asteroid 555802, discovered by National Central University’s Lulin Observatory’s Chi-Sheng Lin and Dr. Quanzhi Ye from the University of Maryland on June 6, 2007, is approximately 1 kilometer in size and completes an orbit around the Sun every 3.63 years. Its closest distance to the Sun is 277 million kilometers, while its farthest is 431 million kilometers. The proposal to name the asteroid was submitted and approved by the International Astronomical Union’s Working Group for Small Bodies Nomenclature (WGSBN), and the naming was officially published in the August 15, 2024, issue of the WGSBN Bulletin Volume 4, #11.
Since 2006, National Central University’s Lulin Sky Survey has made numerous groundbreaking discoveries, including Taiwan’s first comet, along with over 800 asteroids, establishing Taiwan as a leading center for asteroid discoveries in Asia. Another asteroid, "192208 Tzu Chi," also named in recognition of Tzu Chi’s contributions, was discovered by the same team at Lulin Observatory.
Source: Tzu Chi Foundation
