Minor planet named after Russian archpriest

Bolkhov, Orel Province, Russia, September 23, 2017

Photo: orel-eparhia.ru Photo: orel-eparhia.ru
    

A minor planet, registered as No. 24604 (1973 SPF) in the international catalogue of minor planets, has been named “Vasilermakov” in honor of Archpriest Vasily Timofeevich Ermakov of the town of Bolkhov in the Oryol Province, 200 miles southwest of Moscow. As the site of the Orel Diocese reported yesterday, the decision to honor the priest was made by the Committee for Naming Minor Planets of the International Astronomical Union on February 22, 2016.

The official certificate from the Russian Academy of Sciences was brought from St. Petersburg to Bolkhov on Thursday by pilgrims who had arrived for the commemorative celebration in honor of the well-known priest. They attended the Divine Liturgy for the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Holy Trinity Cathedral in Bolkhov, handing the document to His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Orlovsk and Bolkhov.

Photo: orel-eparhia.ru Photo: orel-eparhia.ru
The orbit of the minor planet was detected in 1955, and the planet itself was discovered on September 27, 1973 in the Crimean Astrophysics Observatory by astronomer Lyudmila Chernykh (1935-2017)—an outstanding Soviet and Russian scientist, famous for having discovered 268 asteroids. The discovery was registered in 2001. Tamara Nikolaeva, a spiritual child of Archpriest Vasily, took care to perpetuate his name in the naming of the celestial body, which took 16 years. The name of the planet is listed in the international scientific publication “Ephemerides of Minor Planets,” published by the Institute for Applied Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The minor planet Vasilermakov is located in the so-called “asteroid belt,” which lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It has a diameter of 4.3 miles (bigger than Bolkhov), and the semimajor axis of the orbit is 8.82 astronomical units.

Lyudmila Chernykh also discovered minor planet No. 16395 (1981 US14) “Ioannpravednyj,” named for St. John of Kronstadt, minor planet No. 4485 “Radonehskij,” named for St. Sergius of Radonezh, minor planet No. 5612 “Nevskij,” named for St. Alexander Nevsky, and others.

The official certificate from the Russian Academy of Sciences will be kept in the Archpriest Vasily Ermakov memorial house in Bolkhov.

Archpriest Vasily Ermakov. Photo: orel-eparhia.ru Archpriest Vasily Ermakov. Photo: orel-eparhia.ru
    

Archpriest Vasily Ermakov (1927-2007) was a native of Bolkhov. While serving as rector of St. Seraphim of Sarov Church in Seraphimovskoe Cemetery in St. Petersburg, he became one of the most famous and authoritative St. Petersburg clerics, leading many to God. He regularly visited Bolkhov in the last years of his life and was one of the initiators of the revival of the spiritual life in the town and of the restoration of a number of churches.

A street was also named for Fr. Vasily in Bolkhov in 2009.

9/23/2017

See also
Has science rejected God? Has science rejected God?
Andrei Solodkov Has science rejected God? Has science rejected God?
Talks on the book of Genesis
Andrei Solodkov
The first chapter of the book of Genesis, as we remember, speaks about how God created the world and man. Perhaps no other Biblical narrative causes such aggressive attacks as that on the creation of the world. “It’s not scientific!” is the main argument. But are science and faith truly contradictory; can scientists be believers? And are those theories that contradict the Bible truly “scientific?” Should science, in principle, concern itself with questions of the origin of the world? Religious historian Andrei Ivanovich Solodkov contemplates these questions. Faith—the Key to God’s Treasury. Part 1 Faith—the Key to God’s Treasury. Part 1
Bishop Alexander (Mileant) Faith—the Key to God’s Treasury. Part 1 Faith—the Key to God’s Treasury. Part 1
Bishop Alexander (Mileant)
Our soul possesses the amazing ability to sense God. Although this awareness of the Divine presence is weak and hazy in a person just beginning to grow spiritually, it gets stronger and becomes more and more conscious with a virtuous way of life. This, in turn, strengthens one’s faith in Him, so that the inner feeling of God grows to a strong religious conviction. First ever dissertation council for theology established in Russia as part of Ministry of Education and Science system First ever dissertation council for theology established in Russia as part of Ministry of Education and Science system First ever dissertation council for theology established in Russia as part of Ministry of Education and Science system First ever dissertation council for theology established in Russia as part of Ministry of Education and Science system
Unprecedented in Russian history, this event is a follow-up to the long and hard work which has been underway by the Russian Orthodox Church and other traditional religions since the 1990s to build the academic sphere of theology in a secular educational space.
Comments
Here you can leave your comment on the present article, not exceeding 4000 characters. All comments will be read by the editors of OrthoChristian.Com.
Enter through FaceBook
Your name:
Your e-mail:
Enter the digits, seen on picture:

Characters remaining: 4000

Subscribe
to our mailing list

* indicates required
×