Small planet named after Pinoy science teacher

If you are a world-class Filipino science teacher, your reward could literally be out of this world.

A small planet orbiting the space between Mars and Jupiter has been named after an international award-winning Filipino science teacher.

The heavenly body, planet 13241, is now called "Planet Biyo,"named after Dr. Josette Biyo of the Philippine Science High School-Western Visayas (PSHS-WV) in Iloilo City by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory in the United States.

Biyo won the International Excellence in Teaching Award given during the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) held last year in Louisville, Kentucky.

Commenting on the distinct honor bestowed upon her, Biyo said, "Filipino teachers can be world-class teachers. It all starts with the passion and commitment we dedicate to teaching.

Biyo is the first Asian teacher to win the award since it was first given out in 1997. Biyo bested four other finalists from China and the US and 90 other contestants from all over the world.

Biyo received a $20,000 teaching grant, $5,000 in cash, a high-performance computer and an all expense-paid trip to the 2002 Intel ISEF.

In a letter to Biyo, associate head of the Aerospace Division of Lincoln Laboratory and manager of the Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Reasearch (LINTAR) program Dr. Grant Stokes said, "please enjoy the distinct honor of having a minor planet named after you."

Planet Biyo has a diameter of four to nine kilometers and can be tracked using the ephemeris service of the Minor Planet Center, available through the Lincoln Laboratory website at www.ll.mitedu/linear.

Stokes announced the naming of minor planets in honor of the Intel Excellence in Teaching Award finalists during the award breakfast as part of an educational initiative called the Ceres Connection.