Starman gets his own constellation: Seven stars, in the vicinity of Mars

DDB Brussels has detailed a fitting tribute by the Belgian music station Studio Brussels and MIRA Public Observatory for the late rock star David Bowie. As the music legend responsible for popular hits includingStarman, Space Oddity, Life on Mars? and Hallo Spaceboy, it’s clear the universe was a great inspiration to Bowie. Now a constellation has been registered to honor him, recorded at the time of his death. It is delineated by seven stars that shine in the shape of the iconic lightning bolt seen on the cover of his Aladdin Sane album.

David Bowie now has a symbolic home among the other 88 existing constellations. Philippe Mollet from MIRA Public Observatory explains the star selection process in more detail:

“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.”

This homage is linked to ‘Stardust for Bowie,’ developed on Google Sky, a virtual star constellation where fans can choose their most memorable Bowie tune.

Users can get involved by clicking inside the constellation to assign their favorite song by the rock star, leaving a short note as well. These can then be shared and viewed by other online visitors. As the Bowie lightning bolt fills up with tiny stars, each representing a fan’s message, the constellation shines brighter. This creates a special tribute for the Starman that keeps growing as people continue to add messages.