Asteroid named after Polish writer Józef Ignacy Kraszewski

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has officially named an asteroid after the 19th-century Polish writer Józef Ignacy Kraszewski. The celestial body, previously designated as 2008 JC6, will now be known as (424613) Kraszewski.

The asteroid was discovered on May 2, 2008, by astronomers Kazimierz Czernis and Justas Zdanavičius at the Malatai Astronomical Observatory in Lithuania. The object orbits the Sun with a period of 4.6 years in the main asteroid belt, featuring an elongated orbit that approaches Mars at its perihelion.

Kraszewski, a prolific author known for writing over 200 novels including ‘Stara baśń’, was a historian, publisher, painter, and musician. He joins other notable Polish writers, such as Adam Mickiewicz and Olga Tokarczuk, who have been honored with asteroid names.