Voting for the International Astronomical Union's "NameExoWorlds" competition to name 32 exoplanets and a majority of their host stars is now open.
The contest is the first official time the public can help assign common names to exoplanets and the first in centuries for stars, according to the IAU, the sole authority that assigns official names to celestial bodies.
NameExoWorlds began July last year when the IAU selected 260 planetary systems, which host a total of 305 planets, that could be selected for public naming. That list was whittled down to 20 systems when astronomy clubs and nonprofit organizations voted in January. They then submitted 247 name proposals for the celestial bodies. .
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The contest is the first official time the public can help assign common names to exoplanets and the first in centuries for stars, according to the IAU, the sole authority that assigns official names to celestial bodies.
NameExoWorlds began July last year when the IAU selected 260 planetary systems, which host a total of 305 planets, that could be selected for public naming. That list was whittled down to 20 systems when astronomy clubs and nonprofit organizations voted in January. They then submitted 247 name proposals for the celestial bodies. .
Continue reading…
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