A main-belt asteroid has been named after Riccardo Pozzobon, a researcherr in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Padua, who tragically died on September 2, 2025, during a mission on a glacier in Alaska.

Previously known as 1999 LV32, the celestial body has been officially redesignated 86029 Riccardopozzobon. The naming, approved swiftly by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), marks a highly prestigious recognition of the scientist’s work. Pozzobon was a talented planetary geologist and served as an astronaut instructor in the European Space Agency’s geological training programme, PANGAEA.

The asteroid belongs to the main belt, orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. It was discovered in 1999 as part of the Catalina Sky Survey, one of the leading U.S. programmes dedicated to detecting asteroids and near-Earth objects.

“Assigning a name to an asteroid is usually a lengthy process. In this case, however, it was expedited thanks to the efforts of remarkable individuals committed to honoring Riccardo’s memory,” said Mara Marzocchi, Pozzobon’s mother.

This tribute acknowledges Riccardo Pozzobon’s contribution to the international scientific community and to planetary research.