VENTURA : Astronomer Names Asteroid After City

To some critics, the Ventura City Council’s actions may seem kooky, but never before have they been out of this world.

The council on Monday formally thanked a Belgian astronomer for naming a newly discovered asteroid after the city.

Astronomer Eric Elst, a native of Antwerp, was so smitten with Ventura during a recent visit that he decided to immortalize the city in space.

Elst works primarily at the European Southern Observatory at Santiago, Chile, and was on the job in the Chilean desert when he discovered the asteroid.

Elst and his family were introduced to Ventura while visiting his longtime friend, former Councilman Don Villeneuve.

Council members were happy to hear that the city was finally getting some recognition, although Councilman James Monahan wondered aloud if the city would be held liable should the asteroid crash to Earth.

“Santa Monica and Berkeley beat us on the hardwood ordinance, (so) let’s see if we can get an asteroid ordinance first,” Mayor Gregory L. Carson quipped.

The mayor was referring to a step Ventura took last week to ban the purchase of wood from tropical rain forests.