Orbitar, really? Some new exoplanet names are downright weird

The International Astronomical Union blessed the names after a public vote.

Read the whole story

 

[Wonder Chemist]

They are all Pluto to me.

 

[DoomHamster]

Could have been worse. At least they aren't being named by the automotive or pharmaceutical industries.

 

[DOOManiac]

We can't go around wasting all the good names on these first few exoplanets we find! We should name the system at the most, and the planets can just be 1, 2, 3...

 

[l8gravely]

Just wait... once they get above a certain number, people will stop paying attention to the IAU and just putting their own names on things. Esp once people actually get there who aren't govt affiliated.

 

[Statistical]

They are all Pluto to me.

 

[andrewb610]

DOOManiac[/url]":2nxavcfo]We can't go around wasting all the good names on these first few exoplanets we find! We should name the system at the most, and the planets can just be 1, 2, 3...

I have a feeling that method is gonna go the same way Demetri Martin describes how vitamins were named:

Okay, let’s name these: Vitamin A, Vitamin B…okay man, slow down. We’ve got a lot to cover here. B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B12.” Then they got to E and they were like, “We’re pretty much done. We’ve got all those damn B’s. This is embarrassing. Let’s just skip to K and get the hell out of here.

 

[foobarian]

This fairness of this naming system seems questionable to me (though I actually like the new names).

 

[Onyx Spartan II]

DOOManiac[/url]":i6rq7avk]We can't go around wasting all the good names on these first few exoplanets we find! We should name the system at the most, and the planets can just be 1, 2, 3...

Too bad Epsilon Eridani isn't looking very habitable... We could name a planet there Reach!

 

[arkiel]

Dagon: Semitic deity, often represented as half-man, half-fish.

Yeah, that's the meaning underlying why the USA called a weird outer thing 'Dagon'.

It 'Lich' works, then goddamn 'Yuggoth' can work too.

 

[Statistical]

We can't go around wasting all the good names on these first few exoplanets we find! We should name the system at the most, and the planets can just be 1, 2, 3...

Planets are usually a,b,c ...

Still I can't believe they renamed 42 Draconis. That is a badass name for a star. The replacement name "Fafnir "? Meh.

 

[andrewb610]

Statistical[/url]":2fhr3bug]

We can't go around wasting all the good names on these first few exoplanets we find! We should name the system at the most, and the planets can just be 1, 2, 3...

Planets are usually a,b,c ...

Still I can't believe they renamed 42 Draconis. That is a badass name for a star. The replacement name "Fafnir "? Meh.

That brings up a good point: how about naming them after Final Fantasy monsters? Granted final fantasy monster names are taken from multiple mythologies.... but still!

 

[doornail]

With 10^21 stars in the universe doling out monikers is a fool's errand.

 

[thereddaikon]

Anyone else annoyed that epsilon eridani didn't get named reach? Psssssh. Even the US got to name that one and we picked lesser Norse gods. And WTF Italy, Dragur and Lich? Skyrim came out 4 years ago! At least the Netherlands was reasonable and named their planets after notable scientists.

 

[fryhole]

Here's what I'm not understanding .... ARS is reporting on this after the fact. If this was a public vote why did they not post something about this prior to the voting ? MIght have made a little more sense. You'd think the news outlet might have caught wind of it to report it before the voting closed.

 

[andrewb610]

fryhole[/url]":3gqo3sqs]Here's what I'm not understanding .... ARS is reporting on this after the fact. If this was a public vote why did they not post something about this prior to the voting ? MIght have made a little more sense. You'd think the news outlet might have caught wind of it to report it before the voting closed.

It was a long time ago
Note: In case anyone tried the link before I added this part: the link is correct now.

 

[0xdeadc0de]

Onyx Spartan II[/url]":1h41u7p3]Too bad Epsilon Eridani isn't looking very habitable... We could name a planet there Reach!

You are confused. It's called Yellowstone, and the gas giant is Tangerine Dream.

 

[John_5mith]

doornail[/url]":9mzb5tal]With 10^21 stars in the universe doling out monikers is a fool's errand.

Not so! Take 100 of the most common syllables (2, 3, or 4 characters) in a mix of languages. String 15 of them together to make words with 30-60 letters. There are 100^15 combinations, which will accomodate 10^30 planets.

 

[flunk]

That's ok, we'll find out 90% of these don't really exist when we build the next bigger and better space telescope.

P.S. I believe we need to use the British Colonial naming system for all these planets. First person to land their ship on the planet and plant the flag gets to name it. It will solve a lot of problems, at least for now.

 

[Statistical]

That's ok, we'll find out 90% of these don't really exist when we build the next bigger and better space telescope.

Far more likely we discover more exoplanets not that an existing one doesn't exist. We understand enough about orbital mechanics and the level of proof required for an exoplanet discovery is high enough that we are pretty sure those planets are there. We may be a little off on their charecteristics and almost certainly there are a lot more we simply can't see (too small, too close to sun, wrong orientation, etc) but I doubt we will be oops that planet doesn't exist.

 

[doornail]

John_5mith[/url]":iej18043]

doornail[/url]":iej18043]With 10^21 stars in the universe doling out monikers is a fool's errand.

Not so! Take 100 of the most common syllables (2, 3, or 4 characters) in a mix of languages. String 15 of them together to make words with 30-60 letters. There are 100^15 combinations, which will accomodate 10^30 planets.

I meant trying to christen astral objects with 'proper' names is like trying to name grains of sand after the seven dwarfs.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I like brand new names for exoplanets and I'm not a fan of naming everything we find from now until eternity after renaissance scientists

 

[krimhorn]

arkiel[/url]":3v5wahrj]

Dagon: Semitic deity, often represented as half-man, half-fish.

Yeah, that's the meaning underlying why the USA called a weird outer thing 'Dagon'.

It 'Lich' works, then goddamn 'Yuggoth' can work too.

At least the star's not named 'Innsmouth' so there's a possibility that it's a different Dagon.

 

[qasimq]

Well I for one would like some of the new planets to be named after planets from Starcraft. Like Aiur, korhal or Char.
I love me some Starcraft

 

[xme]

Look guys, let's just stop this silly debate. We should just visit and ask them what they call it. Problem solved.

 

[abend s0c0]

I'm surprised they aren't selling the names like they do for buildings or sports stadiums. Couldn't they use a few extra Euro?

 

[vlam]

Statistical[/url]":2ssqeuap]

We can't go around wasting all the good names on these first few exoplanets we find! We should name the system at the most, and the planets can just be 1, 2, 3...

Planets are usually a,b,c ...

Still I can't believe they renamed 42 Draconis. That is a badass name for a star. The replacement name "Fafnir "? Meh.

Er, what's wrong with fafnir? Norse mythology is the best. And who doesn't like a world ending wolf?

 

[ExMancunium]

xme[/url]":30gcz8p1]Look guys, let's just stop this silly debate. We should just visit and ask them what they call it. Problem solved.

Some suggestions:

"I don't know, what?"
"Just a planet"
"Your finger, you fool"

 

[gulthaw]

Spain, too, provided good options. Its representatives suggested the name Cervantes for a star, with planets named Quijote, Dulcinea, Rocinante, and Sancho.

I disagree on that. By that same logic (famous writers and characters) we should also have Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes and Watson, Agatha Christie and Hercules Poirot, Joanot Martorell and Tirant, Charles Dickens and Oliver Twist, Oscar Wilde and Dorian Gray.... and so on, the list goes forever.

Now if you take only sci-fi writers that could be something... but still I wouldn't like that either.

 

[maehara]

ExMancunium[/url]":3isz43y2]
"I don't know, what?"
"Just a planet"
"Your finger, you fool"

Ah, the Discworld / Pterry school of naming. I approve.

 

[ebow]

flunk[/url]":3kg5ntp5]P.S. I believe we need to use the British Colonial naming system for all these planets. First person to land their ship on the planet and plant the flag gets to name it. It will solve a lot of problems, at least for now.

Definitely. Then we can end up with names like those in Larry Niven's Known Space, which I prefer to most of the name I've read here: Jinx, Wunderland, We Made it, Plateau, Home, Canyon, etc. Known Space even has a Fafnir though it's a planet, not a star.

 

[sheyingshi]

The number of planets is greater than the number of words so why don't we just say the hell with it and let the aliens name their own worlds.

 

[Eventide]

I'm in favor of the Culture method of nomenclature.

I want to see planets named like:

- Of Course I Still Love You
- Just Read The Instructions
- So Much For Subtlety
- Very Little Gravitas Indeed
- Size Isn't Everything
- Funny, It Worked Last Time
- God Told Me To Do It
- Well I Was In The Neighbourhood

 

[bthylafh]

Eventide[/url]":1dk0utlz]I'm in favor of the Culture method of nomenclature.

I want to see planets named like:

- Of Course I Still Love You
- Just Read The Instructions
- So Much For Subtlety
- Very Little Gravitas Indeed
- Size Isn't Everything
- Funny, It Worked Last Time
- God Told Me To Do It
- Well I Was In The Neighbourhood

- Meatfucker

 

[TheGreenMonkey]

Statistical[/url]":2qfl4dh2]

We can't go around wasting all the good names on these first few exoplanets we find! We should name the system at the most, and the planets can just be 1, 2, 3...

Planets are usually a,b,c ...

Still I can't believe they renamed 42 Draconis. That is a badass name for a star. The replacement name "Fafnir "? Meh.

Exactly my thoughts, thank you. It just baffles me how one can go from 42 Draconis to Fafnir and think that is in any way, shape, or form an improvement.

Although 42 Draconis would make a great name for a metal band too.

 

[arkiel]

krimhorn[/url]":b7abetfb]

arkiel[/url]":b7abetfb]

Dagon: Semitic deity, often represented as half-man, half-fish.

Yeah, that's the meaning underlying why the USA called a weird outer thing 'Dagon'.

It 'Lich' works, then goddamn 'Yuggoth' can work too.

At least the star's not named 'Innsmouth' so there's a possibility that it's a different Dagon.

Then we'd have to disappear the denizens of that decadent and shadowed world, and meticulously nuke a certain nearby asteroid belt where it is said dark things lurk.

Honestly, sounds like a lot of work.

 

[thereddaikon]

vlam[/url]":20fevtmf]

Statistical[/url]":20fevtmf]

We can't go around wasting all the good names on these first few exoplanets we find! We should name the system at the most, and the planets can just be 1, 2, 3...

Planets are usually a,b,c ...

Still I can't believe they renamed 42 Draconis. That is a badass name for a star. The replacement name "Fafnir "? Meh.

Er, what's wrong with fafnir? Norse mythology is the best. And who doesn't like a world ending wolf?

It doesn't sound as cool as Draconis.

 

[thereddaikon]

0xdeadc0de[/url]":33mk0vvn]

Onyx Spartan II[/url]":33mk0vvn]Too bad Epsilon Eridani isn't looking very habitable... We could name a planet there Reach!

You are confused. It's called Yellowstone, and the gas giant is Tangerine Dream.

I'm missing the reference but why would you name a star after a 70's German electro act? Might as well name a star Kraftwerk. Actually, on second thought do that. Kraftwerk sounds cool.

 

[vlam]

thereddaikon[/url]":31hzh1tr]

vlam[/url]":31hzh1tr]

Statistical[/url]":31hzh1tr]

We can't go around wasting all the good names on these first few exoplanets we find! We should name the system at the most, and the planets can just be 1, 2, 3...

Planets are usually a,b,c ...

Still I can't believe they renamed 42 Draconis. That is a badass name for a star. The replacement name "Fafnir "? Meh.

Er, what's wrong with fafnir? Norse mythology is the best. And who doesn't like a world ending wolf?

It doesn't sound as cool as Draconis.

Idk, the fact that it's stealing a name from a larger structure devalues the name to me. Is 42 Draconis really any better or worse than 24 Draconis or 33 Draconis? If there weren't so many Draconii I'd definitely advocate to keep the name.

 

[Golgo1]

vlam[/url]":vhuuiuul]

thereddaikon[/url]":vhuuiuul]

vlam[/url]":vhuuiuul]

Statistical[/url]":vhuuiuul]

We can't go around wasting all the good names on these first few exoplanets we find! We should name the system at the most, and the planets can just be 1, 2, 3...

Planets are usually a,b,c ...

Still I can't believe they renamed 42 Draconis. That is a badass name for a star. The replacement name "Fafnir "? Meh.

Er, what's wrong with fafnir? Norse mythology is the best. And who doesn't like a world ending wolf?

It doesn't sound as cool as Draconis.

Idk, the fact that it's stealing a name from a larger structure devalues the name to me. Is 42 Draconis really any better or worse than 24 Draconis or 33 Draconis? If there weren't so many Draconii I'd definitely advocate to keep the name.

Because that particular Draconis is the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything.

How is something not named Asimov yet?
Hmm maybe being reserved for one of the first FTL ships?

Edited for finger-keyboard interface failure