NASA says Aretha Franklin’s asteroid will keep orbiting after singer’s death

NASA offered condolences in a tweet Thursday to legendary American soul singer Aretha Franklin, who died at the age of 76 after battling pancreatic cancer, The Hill reports.

The space exploration agency said that an asteroid named after the singer would continue to orbit the sun past Mars for years to come following her death.

"We’re saddened by the loss of Aretha Franklin. Asteroid 249516 Aretha, found by our NEOWISE mission and named after the singer to commemorate the #QueenOfSoul, will keep orbiting beyond Mars," the agency tweeted.

The asteroid, first detected in 2001 and designated as an asteroid in 2010, measures about two to three miles across, according to The Atlantic, and takes about five and a half years to orbit the sun.

We’re saddened by the loss of Aretha Franklin. Asteroid 249516 Aretha, found by our NEOWISE mission and named after the singer to commemorate the #QueenOfSoul, will keep orbiting beyond Mars. See more details: https://t.co/NlW4vkmKDq pic.twitter.com/yZ0E5ofSQT

— NASA (@NASA) August 16, 2018