An Alexander High School alumnus recently earned an out-of-this-world distinction.
Clayton Chilcutt, a sophomore at the University of Georgia, won a global contest to name a quasi-moon.
Chilcutt, a Douglasville native and 2023 graduate of Alexander, submitted the winning name “Cardea” for the quasi-moon. A quasi-moon is an asteroid that appears to orbit Earth like a moon but is actually orbiting the sun. Currently, there are seven known quasi-moons associated with Earth.
A finance major at UGA, Chilcutt first learned about the naming contest in his introductory astronomy course, which he took after being inspired by the movie “Interstellar.”
"Being a history buff who likes empires, especially Roman, I decided to do some research on Greco-Roman mythology, and after reading several names, I landed on Cardea," Chilcutt said. "Learning and observing astronomy and astrophysics is a hobby of mine. The class was very interesting, and my professor was very knowledgeable and engaging. I learned about quasi-moons in class, and this project was extra credit, but to my surprise, it ended up taking off and being something big."
Chilcutt chose the name “Cardea” after the Roman goddess of doorways and transitions, symbolizing the protection of thresholds. He explained that the name also had a celestial quality that resonated with him.
AHS science teacher Jeffery Davison said Chilcutt was "hard working and determined" in high school.
"Winning that contest was amazing," Davison said. "I am very happy for him."
The contest, launched last May by Radiolab, a science journalism organization, received thousands of submissions from over 90 countries. A panel of judges, including renowned scientists and celebrities like Bill Nye, astrophysicist Wanda Díaz Merced, and actor Penn Badgley, selected seven finalists. Chilcutt’s entry was among them.
More than 10,000 people voted on the finalists last month, and Chilcutt’s submission emerged as the winner.
The quasi-moon he named was discovered in 2004 and was previously identified as (164207) 2004 GU9.
Since his win, Chilcutt has been featured in a variety of local and national outlets, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The New York Times, and Science Magazine.