The first ever photo of a black hole from galaxy M87 was released this week, thanks to the work of a 29 year old MIT student named Katie Bouman. Scientists around the world celebrated, and one of them named it "Powehi," which means "adorned fathomless dark creation." Sounds kind of cool, right? Rock fans have another idea. An online petition has been started to name it after the late Soundgarden front man Chris Cornell, in honor of their 1994 song "Black Hole Sun" from the album Superunknown.
"Powehi" would look good on a t-shirt with the black hole photo, but Soundgarden's "Back Hole Sun" won a Grammy in 1995 for Best Hardrock Performance, and it hit number 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart during it's 26 week run.
Petition organizer Giuliana Jarrin writes, "Almost two years ago, we lost Chris Cornell. He was the lead singer for Soundgarden and Audioslave, and above all, the voice of an entire generation. He was one of the most beloved figures not just in rock, but all of music, by people from all over the world. His music, his voice and his personality inspired, influenced, changed and even saved the lives of thousands of people. Chris left a heavy legacy for a new generation of musicians who follow in his footsteps. His memory will remain forever alive in the hearts of all his family, friends, fans and all the people who love him, and his music will do the same in each record, song or video we play."
If you would like to join in the Chris Cornell movement, click here to cast your vote.