The European Southern Observatory released images of 42 of the largest asteroids in our solar system, on the 42nd anniversary of the publication of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Its numerical press release ID is 2114.

Also published on the same day was an associated article in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

While there are far more than 42 authors attached to the paper, there are 43 institutions. Gotta wonder if something went just slightly wrong there.

Clocking in at 48 pages.

Well.... can't skimp on the science and journals are probably not like school where you can shrink or expand margins to suit yourself.

Originally William Shatner had been scheduled to launch into space on the 12th but that was delayed because of bad weather.

We didn't see anyone connecting it to the Hitchhiker's anniversary but that might have been their intent. Which they kept under their hats in case it didn't work out.

[Main Image: 42 asteroids imaged by ESO’s VLT. Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser/Vernazza et al./MISTRAL algorithm (ONERA/CNRS). ]

References

European Southern Observatory (October 12, 2021). Meet the 42: ESO images some of the biggest asteroids in our Solar System.

Vernazza, P., Ferrais, M., Jorda, L. (October 12, 2021). VLT/SPHERE imaging survey of the largest main-belt asteroids: Final results and synthesis. Astrophysics & Astronomy.