Space oddity: Buzz Aldrin treated by David Bowie

In what can only be described as a space oddity, former astronaut Buzz Aldrin is being cared for in a New Zealand hospital by Dr David Bowie after being evacuated from the South Pole.

Aldrin’s doctor shares the name of the late British singer whose greatest hits included songs such as “Starman” and others about space travel that could easily have been penned for the great American astronaut.

The coincidence certainly tickled Christina Korp, Aldrin's manager, who posted a photo on Twitter of Aldrin and Dr Bowie together in a Christchurch hospital.