If you’ve been waiting all your life for the opportunity to name alien planets, wait no further, because now’s your chance to finally fulfill that childhood dream of yours. Thanks to the International Astronomical Union’s “NameExoWorlds” contest, you finally have a say in what a planet gets named, the first time in history that the public has been given this grand opportunity. The contest also allows the public to name several stars, something that hasn’t happened in hundreds of years, according to the IAU.
The NameExoWorlds Contest is Your Ticket to Name Alien Planets
Don’t get too excited, though. You have an opportunity to name alien planets, but you still can’t name one after your favorite pet, or anything else that might have inspired you to come up with names for planets over the years.
The process isn’t completely open for just anyone to submit names for consideration. In fact, the names for consideration had already been submitted long before the International Astronomical Union decided to open the process up and let the public decide on names for the alien worlds. During this process, they accepted name submissions only from astronomy clubs and nonprofit organizations.
The NameExoWorlds contest was designed to allow people from all over the world to vote for the names of 32 exoplanets and 15 stars. It began in July of last year, when the IAU chose over 200 planetary systems, which are home to a total of 305 exoplanets, for the possibility of naming. Then, astronomy clubs and nonprofit organizations voted on that list of possibilities and narrowed it down to 20 planetary systems back in January. After the list shrunk, a total of 247 names were proposed for the celestial bodies within those 20 systems. Now, it’s up to you to decide which planets and stars get which names.
What Names are Available?
There are a plethora of names to choose from, and all come with explanations from the groups that submitted them. The names range from completely crazy made up names, such as “Gegalbis,” to names that have a foundation in science fiction, like “Cthunga.” Some are simple names with simple explanations, while others are more complex and have more lengthy explanations for the choice, all available on the NameExoWorlds website.
In one system, the star Errai (gamma Cephei) has the exoplanet Errai b, which one group proposed to name Kharoof. Their explanation was, “Errai is Arabic for shepherd, so we chose an Arabic word for sheep, which is herded by the shepherd.”
For the star Pollux (beta Germinorum), the exoplanet Pollux b is up for naming. One group proposed the name Leda, and said that “in Greek mythology, the father of the twins Pollux and Castor is said to be either Zeus or Tyndareus (the king of Sparta) depending on which version you go by. But all versions have Leda as their mother, so it is fitting that the celestial version of Pollux is accompanied by his beautiful mother Leda in an everlasting celestial orbit.”
The system for 42 Draconis is home to the exoplanet 42 Draconis b, and both the star and its planet are up for naming. One group proposed that the star be named Vepolar, explaining that is is “because it is the northern pole star of Venus.” They proposed the name Brug for the planet, saying “Brug is the word Dragon in Tibetan language. We propose this name because this stellar system is located in the constellation Draco.”
All these names and many more are ready for you to choose from, so take this opportunity to be a part of celestial history and cast your vote today. Voting closes on October 31st of this year.
How to Name Alien Planets
If you want to take part in this historic occasion and fulfill that childhood dream of being able to name one of the stars in the night sky, head over to the NameExoWorlds website and cast your vote. You can only vote once per system, per device, so make sure to choose something that you would really like that planet and/or star to be named. Voting is free and does not require any sort of registration, so the process is fairly quick and painless. What are you waiting for? Go out there and name alien planets!
