LONDON -- Following the news that four new elements were added to the periodic table, a petition has been launched to name one after the late Motörhead frontman Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister -- suggesting that the name "Lemmium" will be perfectly suited for the rock legend.
Lemmy died aged 70 on Dec. 28, two days after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer on Boxing Day.
The petition, which was launched by Change.org user John Wright, is aiming to modify the name given to one of the four elements, which has temporarily been named Ununoctium 118.
With over 21,000 signatures, Wright, from York, is hoping that the petition will meet the naming requirements given by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).
Wright revealed to Mashable that he had about 30 signatures until Guns N' Roses member Duff McKagan shared the tweet with his followers.
"I did not have a number in mind when I created it," he said. "It has just kept growing which shows that people like the idea."
"The feedback has been really supportive from both rock fans and the scientific community," he added. One fan on Twitter has created a mockup of what the element might look like.
@JohnWrightECB @timchester @mashable @mashsocialmedia @benmckenna pic.twitter.com/eIp9bZBaeC
— Tequila Mockingbyrd (@tequilabyrds) January 6, 2016
"This is a genuine opportunity to establish a permanent legacy," Wright said. "So if the chemical element is going to be called something, why not Lemmium?"