Star Lore

NameExoWorlds 2015

The first NameExoWorlds Contest

In 2015, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) organised the first NameExoWorlds contest. It provided the first opportunity for the public to submit names for exoplanets and their stars.

At the end of the contest, the names of 14 stars and 31 exoplanets orbiting these and five other, already named stars were chosen by public vote and accepted by the IAU. (click here for the complete list).
Here are the (still incomplete) results of the 2015 event, sorted alphabetically by constellation.

Andromeda

The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Thunder Bay Centre, Canada suggested the name Veritate, Latin for where there is truth for the star 14 Andromedae.

14 Andromedae b, a planet orbiting the star was named Spe, Latin for where there is hope.

The star υ Andromedae A (one of the components of double star υ And) was named Titawin by the Vega Astronomy Club of Morocco.

Titawin, the historical part of the Moroccan town of Tétouan, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Three planets orbiting υ Andromedae, υ And b, υ And c and υ And d were named Saffar, Samh and Majriti after 11th century Andalusian Arab astronomers. Titawin, © Anassbarnichou2

Aquila
The Libertyer Student Club at the Hosei University in Tokyo, Japan suggested the name Libertas, Latin for liberty for the star ξ Aquilae. In the club's suggestion, The constellation Aquila represents an eagle - a popular symbol of liberty. Libertas refers to social and political freedoms, and a reminder that there are people derived of liberty in the world even today.

ξ Aquilae b, a planet orbiting the star was named Fortitudo, Latin for fortitude, representing emotional and mental strength in the face of adversity, as embodied by the eagle.

Ara
The star μ Arae was named Cervantes by the Planetary of Pamplona, Spain in honor of Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes, who is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language.

Cervantes' novel Don Quixote is often considered the first modern novel and one of the pinnacles of world literature.

The four planets orbiting μ Arae, discovered between 2001 and 2006, are named after the novel's main characters Don Quijote, his squire Sancho Panza, his lady love Dulcinea and his horse Rocinante.

The official names of the planets are Quixote (μ Ara b), Dulcinea (μ Ara c), Rocinante (μ Ara d), and Sancho (μ Ara e).

Source: web.archive.org
Don Quixote
amazon.com

Cancer
The star 55 Cancri A (one of the components of double star 55 Cnc) was named Copernicus by the Royal Netherlands Association for Meteorology and Astronomy, Netherlands in honor of Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, the developer of the Heliocentric Model.

The 55 Cancri planetary system was the first discovery of a system of exoplanets containing more than three planets.

The planets 55 Cnc b, 55 Cnc c, 55 Cnc d, 55 Cnc e and 55 Cnc f were named after Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, Danish Astronomer Tycho Brahe, German-Dutch telescope maker Hans Lipperhey, Dutch telescope maker Zacharias Janssen and English astronomer Thomas Harriot, respectively, using only their last names.

Source: web.archive.org

Copernicus

Galileo Brahe Lipperhey Janssen Harriot

All images were taken from their respective Wikipedia sites (see links above)

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