An asteroid has been named after Freddie Mercury to mark what would have been the singer’s 70th birthday, telegraph.co.uk informs. 

The Queen frontman who sang of ‘leaping through the sky’ like a shooting star in the hit Don’t Stop Me Now will have his name attached to Asteroid17473, which was discovered in 1991, the year of his death.

The honour was granted by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Centre, which has previously named asteroids after The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen.

Brian May , the Queen guitarist and astrophysicist announced the honour during a party in Switzerland to remember the singer last night.

The space rock sits in the main Asteroid Belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter and is about two miles across.

The International Astronomical Union said that Mercury was given the honour because of his ‘distinctive sound and large vocal range were hallmarks of his performance style and he is regarded as one of the greatest rock singers of all time.’