Planetary Resources is trying to raise money via Kickstarter to launch a telescope into space which anyone can control. The company behind it is in Bellevue, which is a 20 minute drive from me, and its founders include former NASA engineers who worked on Mars Curiosity team. The idea is for around 25 bucks (or more if you want fancier rewards) you can get your photo in space.

If you donate $25 to their Kickstarter, you get to upload a photo to the telescope and then take a "selfie" posing in front of the earth. I donated the maximum amount, $10,000, which means I get to have a message engraved on the side of the telescope, attend the rocket launch, AND I get to NAME A FREAKIN' ASTEROID. They've got 11 days left to meet their goal, and if this project is successfully funded, I'm going to let you guys vote on the name.

If you have an awesome idea for an asteroid name, leave it in the comments below.



More info here.