Now you really can go to Tatooine! International Astronomy Union to let the public name up to 30 exoplanets next year

Paris-based IAU will let the public vote on names for planets next year

This is the first time they will have allowed planets to be named this way

Previously nomenclature for exoplanets had followed strict guidelines

But now in September astronomy clubs will be invited to submit names

And in March next year the public will be allowed to vote on names for 20 to 30 selected planets outside the solar system

To date, nearly all planets found outside the solar system have followed a strict naming convention, which has led to rather complicated names such as OGLE235-MOA53 b.

That’s all set to change later this year, though, as the International Astronomical Union (IAU) will allow the public to vote on the names of exoplanets for the first time.

A list of 305 confirmed planets found before 31 December 2008 has been drawn up, and in October names can be submitted for consideration for some of the planets.

+3

Paris-based IAU will let the public vote on names for planets next year. This is the first time they will have allowed planets to be named this way. Previously nomenclature for exoplanets had followed strict guidelines. But now in September astronomy clubs will be invited to submit names

The IAU, headquartered Paris, has not previously allowed many planets or stars to be named.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Exoplanets are currently named according to strict rules that denote their characteristics.

Take the planet HD 177830 b for example.

The first part denotes the star the planet is in orbit around, which is HD 177830.

The lowercase letter then explains where the planet sits in its system; b is the innermost planet (which would be Mercury in our solar system), followed by c, d and so on.

If the planet is in a multiple star system, the lowercase latter preceded by an uppercase one for the star.

The ‘primary star’ is labelled with an ‘A’, with its companion stars labelled B, C and so on.
So if our example planet was orbiting around the primary star in a binary system, its full name would be HD 177830 Ab

This was partly because thousands of planets have been found, and the naming process would simply be too long and complicated.

But the IAU, in association with Zooniverse, has decided to allow a select few planets to be named, owing to the large public interest in doing so, called the NameExoWorlds contest.

 

More...

• Was the Big Bang really the Big BOUNCE? Loop quantum gravity could provide new explanation for origins of the universe
• Who turned the lights off? Astronomers baffled by find that 80 per cent of the light in the universe is missing

In September, astronomy clubs and non-profit organisations will be allowed to sign up for the IAU Directory for World Astronomy website (directory.iau.org).

Then in October, of the 305 planets 20 to 30 will be selected for naming.

Only 305 initial planets were selected as more recent discoveries haven’t been confirmed, and the IAU didn’t want to select planets that might later be proven to not exist.

In December the clubs and organisations will be invited to send proposals for names, subject to the IAU’s naming rules.

These state that a proposed name cannot be more than 16 characters, it must be pronounceable, it cannot be offensive and the names of living people will not be allowed.

This will rule out certain groups attempting to hijack the contest and submit rude, offensive or inappropriate names.

In March 2015 the public will be allowed to vote on the proposed names and finally, in August 2015, the results will be announced at a ceremony in Honolulu.

The names of planets will coexist alongside their existing scientific names, just like what is done for other celestial bodies now.

For example the Orion Nebula is also scientifically known as Messier 42.

+3

More than 800 planets have been found outside the solar system to date, with thousands more waiting to be confirmed. The diversity of these planets has been tremendous, with some found orbiting binary stars (illustration shown) and others found in tight orbits - but few have been given 'proper' names

+3

Exoplanets are currently named according to strict rules that denote their characteristics. First the planet is given the name of its host star, here being the star Kepler-186. Then it is given a letter denoting its order, with b being the closest, then c, d and so on

‘People have been naming celestial objects for millennia, long before any scientific system of names ever existed,’ explains the IAU.

‘Even today, almost every civilisation and culture uses common names to describe the stars and planets visible to the naked eye, as well as their apparent distribution on the sky.’

The IAU, founded in 1919, is the world’s largest professional body for astronomers with more than 11,000 members across 90 countries.

Among other roles, the IAU is tasked with deciding upon nomenclature for celestial objects.

As all the planets in the solar system are named, this first involved naming comets, asteroids and dwarf planets.

When planets started to be found, though, it was clear many names would be needed.

While the current system is useful to sift through the large numbers of planets, many have petitioned the IAU for more flexibility on certain planets, and they now have their wish.

Although the IAU doesn’t technically ‘own’ space, it still maintains the database of named objects in the night sky, making this an ‘official’ naming process for exoplanets.

The new 'official' naming system will allow planets outside the solar system to be named by members of public for the first name. This could give rise to names based on things from popular culture such as Tatooine from Star Wars (pictured), a popular choice for space enthusiasts

Read more:

• IAU - NameExoWorlds