The man who got a ‘planet’ named after Brisbane set to retire

“Mark has overseen the planning and upgrades of the facility and chairs an average of 1400 sessions each year.”

The 1986 close fly-by of Halley’s Comet was one of Mr Rigby’s career highlights.

“The comet came past in 1986 and the planetarium had a special program to celebrate that and there was considerable excitement in the community,” Cr Schrinner said.

“Because that is a comet that only comes by every 75 or 76 years.”

Halley’s Comet will return in 2061.

Mr Rigby – whose Twitter handle is @Aussie_Starman – approached the International Astronomical Union to have a planet named after Brisbane as the city reached its 150th birthday, Cr Schrinner said.

“That was achieved in 2009 – in the International Year of Astronomy…