You might not know this but the Beatles are not only rock stars, they're asteroids, too. About 10 years ago, some astronomer with too much time to kill had the bright idea of naming four new minor planet discoveries after John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

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The Moon is full on the 15th. Jupiter and Saturn rise just after midnight in the constellation Taurus. Venus hugs the western horizon after sunset, making it difficult to seein northern skies. The Summer Triangle is high overhead in the evening sky all this week andnext.

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At any rate, it just so happens that 4148 McCartney has just passed opposition, the point in its orbit when it lies opposite the sun as seen from Earth. McCartney rises tonight around 9:15 in the constellation Aquarius. Meanwhile, 4150 Starr is setting at nearly the same time in the constellation Virgo. Both 4147 Lennon and 4149 Harrison are in the predawn sky Harrison in Gemini and Lennon among the stars of Taurus.

Unfortunately, as asteroids, the Beatles are very minor players. You need a telescope and a detailed set of charts to identify these guys because they are so faint. Astronomers are not even certain about how big they are -- anywhere between 4 and 12 miles (7 and 20 kilometers).

In addition to the Beatleoids, minor planets have also been christened in honor of Eric Clapton, Jerry Garcia, Carlos Santana and Frank Zappa. Even Enya and Mike Oldfield rate asteroid names. So where's Dylan's rock?

For more information on celebrity asteroids, check out: