IAU: No, You Can't Name That Exoplanet

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

IAU: No, You Can't Name That Exoplanet

Posted by Soulskill on Friday April 12, 2013 @07:08AM from the who-died-and-made-you-president-of-planet-names dept.

astroengine writes "The International Astronomical Union (IAU) — the official body that governs the designations of all celestial bodies — in their capacity of purveyors of all things 'official' has deemed attempts at crowdsourcing names for exoplanets illegitimate. 'In the light of recent events, where the possibility of buying the rights to name exoplanets has been advertised, the International Astronomical Union wishes to inform the public that such schemes have no bearing on the official naming process,' writes Thierry Montmerle, General Secretary of the IAU in Paris, France. Although the 'schemes' are not specifically named, the most popular U.S.-based "exoplanet naming" group Uwingu appears to be the target of today's IAU statement. Set up by Alan Stern, planetary scientist and principal investigator for NASA's Pluto New Horizons mission, Uwingu encourages the public to nominate and vote (for a fee) on names for the slew of exoplanets steadily being discovered."

11 of 142 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

So what by aaaaaaargh! · 2013-04-12 07:12 · Score: 4, Informative

You can name planets as you like. Whether you're understood or not depends on how many others follow your naming convention, of course.
1. Re:So what by dkleinsc · 2013-04-12 07:41 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  A light year is a unit of distance, not time.
  Says a man who's never made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs.
  
  --
  I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
2. Re: So what by MBGMorden · 2013-04-12 08:01 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Err..light year is a measure of distance but the light we see from something 1000 light years away ... is literally 1000 years old by the time it reaches us.
  Err, in astronomical terms a few thousand years is a blip. Would you go around correcting people at work every time they mention "home" to mention: "You don't know if there's is a home. For all you know it could have already burned down before you get back.".
  No - it's stupid. Any planet observable with these techniques is close enough that there's such a small chance of it being destroyed by now that its not even worth worrying about.
  
  --
  "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
3. Re:So what by MBGMorden · 2013-04-12 08:06 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  The FARTHEST exoplanetary system we've discovered is around the star NY Virginis which is 26,940 light years away. The majority are much closer than that. The likelihood that any planet that we can see just "doesn't exist" 27,000 years (or less) later is minuscule. That span of time is nothing when it comes to the lifespan of a planet.
  
  --
  "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
4. Re:So what by geminidomino · 2013-04-12 09:19 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  If that were an actual answer instead of an ass-pull so that they could convince naive people that they didn't fuck up, it would have been in response to Kenobi asking "Is it a maneuverable ship" not "Is it a fast ship?"
  You could do the Kessel run in 12 parsecs in a Ford Pinto, it would just take awhile.
Rocky Mozell's star registry by marvinglenn · 2013-04-12 07:41 · Score: 3, Funny

So where's the IAU when I keep hearing this radio commercial for the bullshit "Internaltional Star Registry" from Rocky Mozell? Or did they already smack that one down, and all the suckers who keep giving him money to run commercials didn't get the memo?

--
The whores get mad when the sluts give it away for free.
buying a star by phantomfive · 2013-04-12 07:44 · Score: 4, Informative

It reminded me of the star naming schemes I read about decades ago. I checked to see what the IAU has to say about that. Whoever wrote that FAQ seems depressed at the sad state of intellect in commercial America.....

--
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
Probably by argStyopa · 2013-04-12 07:50 · Score: 3, Insightful

Yes, it does seem like there should be some rigor to the process. I don't want my descendants emigrating to the planet "My Hairy Balls"* because I was drunk and happened to have some spare cash lying around that day.
*although it would, perhaps, be a poetic illustration of the circle of life.

--
-Styopa
Re:Lol by ceoyoyo · 2013-04-12 08:02 · Score: 4, Informative

The International Astronomical Union gives astronomical objects their official names, by international agreement. They accept suggestions and proposals, but they do not sell naming rights.
You can call astronomical objects whatever you want. The IAU is pointing out that paying someone for the privilege is kind of a dumb thing to do.
Re:You find it, you name it by Zadaz · 2013-04-12 08:15 · Score: 3, Funny

Yeah, but who's going to settle on a planet in orbit around Joe Smith's Giant Cock And Balls, or Spectacular Illumination By GoDaddy.com?
And when we finally meet the aliens from Tostitos III, how do we explain that to them?
Re:You find it, you name it by bradorsomething · 2013-04-12 09:05 · Score: 3, Funny

And when we finally meet the aliens from Tostitos III, how do we explain that to them?
Over nachos?