On Wednesday, the International Astronomical Union announced that they'll soon allow astronomy clubs and other organizations to suggest names for exoplanets, with a public vote deciding which names win.
For the first time, in response to the public's increased interest in being part of discoveries in astronomy, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) is organizing a worldwide contest to give popular names to selected exoplanets along with their host stars. The proposed names will be submitted by astronomy clubs and non-profit organisations interested in astronomy, and votes will be cast by the public from across the world through the web platform NameExoWorlds. This platform is under development by the IAU in association with Zooniverse. The intention is that millions of people worldwide will be able to take part in the vote. Once the votes are counted, the winning names will be officially sanctioned by the IAU, allowing them to be used freely in parallel with the existing scientific nomenclature, with due credit to the clubs or organizations that proposed them.
Our days of celebrating distant planets with names like OGLE-05-390L b may soon be over. In a year, we could be calling it Magrathea, Krypton, or even Westeros.
(Score: 2) by BsAtHome on Saturday July 12 2014, @12:10AM
Naming planets with a popular vote is surely a good thing. It would create an involvement of a larger part.
However, when we inevitably meet the others out there, then we will have to explain to them why we call their planet as we do. This may lead to severe confusion and interplanetary war if we (unintentionally) call their planet for something offensive.
Maybe calling the planet by numbers could also create a controversy, but that is probably less likely. Any one to care to give any odds when the Klingons will attack because we called their planet for bIHnuch?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @12:30AM
This may lead to severe confusion and interplanetary war if we (unintentionally) call their planet for something offensive.
Yes, because any race capable of interstellar travel will likely have the emotional maturity of 5 year olds.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday July 12 2014, @12:44AM
Which raises the question - how can we be sure that the exoplanets will be given decent names?
If human populations are willing to elect Arnold Schwarzenegger as a governor, a Black man as president, and Berlusconi as a Prime Minister; then how can we be sure that the majority won't all fall prey to some whimsy like naming an exoplanet some bullshit like Baconium-12?
(Score: 2) by tynin on Saturday July 12 2014, @04:38AM
Just wait when 4chan rallies to this "cause". The astronomers of tomorrow might get the chance to peek at the distant yet vast goatse star.
(Score: 3, Funny) by captain normal on Saturday July 12 2014, @05:09AM
That's not a star. That's a black hole.
The Musk/Trump interview appears to have been hacked, but not a DDOS hack...more like A Distributed Denial of Reality.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 13 2014, @04:39AM
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday July 13 2014, @05:16AM
You're a faggot. And you lost the P.C. Battle. Suck my dick. Bitch.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 13 2014, @05:34AM
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday July 13 2014, @06:18AM
Suck my dick, and let the come and jissom dribble down your cheeks, queerbait.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 13 2014, @06:27AM
(Score: 2) by BsAtHome on Saturday July 12 2014, @12:46AM
Technological advance does not necessarily correlate with emotional maturity (see this rock's history for reference). There is also no guarantee that motivations would be aligned in any common ground. Then, you can have travellers who are not the original designers/developers, to whom you subscribe the maturity.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @01:12AM
> Technological advance does not necessarily correlate with emotional maturity (see this rock's history for reference).
Yeah, what metrics are you using? Because violence has been on the decline for thousands of years [wsj.com] with the greatest reductions strongly correlated with the greatest rate of technological advance.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @01:40AM
Planets will be named by corporations. Now, who wants to sell their family into indentured servitude on Bokamba Mercer Prime to pay for a vacation on Disney Planet, hmm?
(Score: 2) by Lagg on Saturday July 12 2014, @01:53AM
Even though it's going to be nearly impossible to get everyone to go along with it, maybe this will be the end of those scam artists trying to get people to pay to make a name and at least it'll be in an official registry. That's what is most important I think. Those types have been stains on astronomy for way too long.
http://lagg.me [lagg.me] 🗿
(Score: 2, Interesting) by hellcat on Saturday July 12 2014, @02:53AM
Let's worry about what the aliens think about what we call them AFTER we meet them!
The thing is that we get there, right?
So let the Astronomical Union sell the naming rights (like stadium names) to the highest bidder.
Then take that money and use it to fund anything exploration related - like getting the public fired up on getting off this hot and dirty rock.
(Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @03:11AM
The Uranians never spoke to us again [smbc-comics.com].
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @05:06AM
> So let the Astronomical Union sell the naming rights (like stadium names) to the highest bidder.
Ugh. I do not want to go Alpha Qualcomm Centauri.
(Score: 1) by Buck Feta on Saturday July 12 2014, @04:29AM
>> Planets can have Cool Names
"Pluto" is a pretty cool name. Any takers?
- fractious political commentary goes here -
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Saturday July 12 2014, @08:02AM
C'mon!
Planet BOB!!!!
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 2) by KritonK on Monday July 14 2014, @10:10AM
Why would anyone want to name a planet after a dog? [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @11:36AM
You all know it's going to be the name of one of the first ones.
(Score: 1) by Lukehasnoname on Saturday July 12 2014, @09:01PM
I guess planet 'moot' or 'minaj' or 'narwhal' might better fit this generation.