David Bowie Honored with His Own Lightning Bolt-Shaped Constellation

The inimitable David Bowie was nothing short of legendary, so it's only fitting that the artist be honored with a fittingly legendary send-off.

Belgian astronomers have gifted the late Bowie with his own constellation in the sky, a collection of seven stars pointing in the direction of Mars that are—wait for it—constructed in the shape of a lightning bolt, paying tribute to the Starman's iconic 1973 Aladdin Sane album cover. The constellation was organized by the Belgian radio station Studio Brussel in partnership with MIRA Public Observatory.

According to DDB Brussels, Philippe Mollet from MIRA explained of the extraordinary gift: "It was not easy to determine the appropriate stars. Studio Brussels asked us to give Bowie a unique place in the galaxy. Referring to his various albums, we chose seven stars—Sigma Librae, Spica, Alpha Virginis, Zeta Centauri, SAA 204 132, and the Beta Sigma Octantis Trianguli Australis—in the vicinity of Mars. The constellation is a copy of the iconic Bowie lightning and was recorded at the exact time of his death."

In addition to the intergalactic gift, "Stardust for Bowie," an interactive web-site where fans can leave notes, share their favorite Bowie tracks, and interact with a Google Sky map of the constellation, has been launched.

Bowie passed away on Sunday January 10 after losing an 18-month battle with cancer. He was reportedly cremated in New York.

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