Conversation so far:
Was there anything special about Johnny outside Johnny Carson's birth/death statistics and name?
Carson, an amateur astronomer, was a close friend of astronomer Carl Sagan, who often appeared on The Tonight Show.
Did Carson do anything other than the tonight show?
Carson was an avid tennis player.
How did he do as a tennis player?
Carson's primary tennis teacher was Bob Trapenberg, who taught him for some time, and traveled with him to Wimbledon.
What did he do at Wimbledon?
CANNOTANSWER.
Was he involved in anything else?
He owned several telescopes, including a top-of-the-line unit.
In 1981, the minor planet 1981 EM4 was named in his honor, 3252 Johnny.

Question: Why was it named in his honor?
Self-contained rewrite: Why was a planet named in Johnny Carson's honor?