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IAU Working Group on Star Names AI simulator
(@IAU Working Group on Star Names_simulator)
Hub AI
IAU Working Group on Star Names AI simulator
(@IAU Working Group on Star Names_simulator)
IAU Working Group on Star Names
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) established a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) in May 2016 to catalog and standardize proper names for stars for the international astronomical community. It operates under Division C – Education, Outreach and Heritage.
The IAU states that it is keen to make a distinction between the terms name and designation. To the IAU, name refers to the (usually colloquial) term used for a star in everyday conversation, while designation is solely alphanumerical, and used almost exclusively in official catalogues and for professional astronomy. (The WGSN notes that transliterated Bayer designations (e.g., Tau Ceti) are considered a special historical case and are treated as designations.)
The terms of reference for the WGSN for the period 2016–2018 were approved by the IAU Executive Committee at its meeting on 6 May 2016. In summary, these are to:
While initially the WGSN would focus on incorporating 'past' names from history and culture, in the future it would be responsible for defining the rules and enabling the process by which new names can be proposed by members of the international astronomical community.
The WGSN adopted preliminary guidelines for unique star names. In summary, these are:
The WGSN explicitly recognized the names of exoplanets and their host stars approved by the Executive Committee Working Group Public Naming of Planets and Planetary Satellites, including the names of stars adopted during the 2015 NameExoWorlds campaign.
The WGSN decided to attribute proper names to individual stars rather than entire multiple systems. For example, the name Fomalhaut specifically refers to the bright A component of a 3 star system. The informal names often attributed to other components in a physical multiple (e.g., Fomalhaut B) are treated as unofficial (albeit described as "useful nicknames"), and not included in the List of IAU-approved Star Names. In the List, the components are clearly identified by their identifiers in the Washington Double Star Catalog. Where a component letter is not explicitly listed, the WGSN says that the name should be understood to be attributed to the visually brightest component.
General guidelines for Chinese star names were adopted during 2017. In summary, these are:
IAU Working Group on Star Names
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) established a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) in May 2016 to catalog and standardize proper names for stars for the international astronomical community. It operates under Division C – Education, Outreach and Heritage.
The IAU states that it is keen to make a distinction between the terms name and designation. To the IAU, name refers to the (usually colloquial) term used for a star in everyday conversation, while designation is solely alphanumerical, and used almost exclusively in official catalogues and for professional astronomy. (The WGSN notes that transliterated Bayer designations (e.g., Tau Ceti) are considered a special historical case and are treated as designations.)
The terms of reference for the WGSN for the period 2016–2018 were approved by the IAU Executive Committee at its meeting on 6 May 2016. In summary, these are to:
While initially the WGSN would focus on incorporating 'past' names from history and culture, in the future it would be responsible for defining the rules and enabling the process by which new names can be proposed by members of the international astronomical community.
The WGSN adopted preliminary guidelines for unique star names. In summary, these are:
The WGSN explicitly recognized the names of exoplanets and their host stars approved by the Executive Committee Working Group Public Naming of Planets and Planetary Satellites, including the names of stars adopted during the 2015 NameExoWorlds campaign.
The WGSN decided to attribute proper names to individual stars rather than entire multiple systems. For example, the name Fomalhaut specifically refers to the bright A component of a 3 star system. The informal names often attributed to other components in a physical multiple (e.g., Fomalhaut B) are treated as unofficial (albeit described as "useful nicknames"), and not included in the List of IAU-approved Star Names. In the List, the components are clearly identified by their identifiers in the Washington Double Star Catalog. Where a component letter is not explicitly listed, the WGSN says that the name should be understood to be attributed to the visually brightest component.
General guidelines for Chinese star names were adopted during 2017. In summary, these are: