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Astronomical naming conventions

Astronomical naming conventions are the standardized systems and guidelines, primarily established and overseen by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), for assigning official designations and proper names to celestial objects, surface features, and phenomena across the universe, ensuring unambiguous identification and facilitating global scientific collaboration.^[1] These conventions encompass a wide range of astronomical entities, from stars and constellations to planets, moons, asteroids, comets, galaxies, and exoplanetary systems, with specific rules tailored to each category to balance historical, cultural, and scientific considerations. For instance, the IAU's Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) approves proper names for stars, prioritizing historical or indigenous terms for bright stars (visual magnitude less than 6.5) while public campaigns like NameExoWorlds allow naming for exoplanet host stars, which are often fainter, with strict criteria prohibiting offensive, commercial, or personal names (except historical figures) and requiring pronounceability in the Latin alphabet.^[2] Similarly, the Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN) governs names for features on planets and satellites, mandating thematic consistency—such as deceased cultural figures for Mercury or notable women for craters on Venus—while emphasizing simplicity, no duplication across bodies, and exclusion of living persons or politically sensitive terms; names are proposed by discoverers or researchers and approved only for scientifically significant features larger than 100 meters.^[3] For small solar system bodies, the Working Group on Small Body Nomenclature (WGSBN) handles designations and names for minor planets, comets, and their satellites, where provisional numerical designations (e.g., (101955) Bennu) precede permanent names like mythological or personal tributes, submitted by discoverers after two oppositions of observation and vetted for appropriateness without size limits but avoiding controversial choices.^[4] Constellations follow the 88 boundaries delimited by the IAU in 1928, using Latin genitive names from ancient traditions, while galaxies and nebulae often retain catalog designations like Messier (M) or New General Catalogue (NGC) numbers unless proper names are historically established. Exoplanets and their host stars are named through coordinated IAU efforts, such as pairing thematic names (e.g., cultural motifs) via international campaigns, ensuring no overlap with solar system nomenclature. Overall, IAU conventions prioritize neutrality, cultural sensitivity, and scientific utility, with all approved names compiled in official catalogs like the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature or the IAU Catalog of Star Names, and proposals rigorously reviewed by dedicated working groups to prevent commercialization or bias.^[5] These processes, evolving since the IAU's founding in 1919, reflect astronomy's international ethos while accommodating diverse heritages through consultations with indigenous groups.

Historical development

Early informal naming

Astronomical naming conventions in antiquity were deeply rooted in cultural, mythological, and practical contexts across civilizations like Mesopotamia, Greece, Arabia, and China, where stars and constellations were assigned names reflecting gods, animals, and seasonal cycles rather than scientific coordinates. In Mesopotamia, early star lists such as the MUL.APIN treatise from the early 7th century BCE cataloged over 70 stellar entities using Sumerian logograms, associating them with agricultural calendars and deities; for instance, the constellation "The Plough" (MUL.APIN) symbolized fertility and was linked to seasonal weather patterns and omens.^[6] Similarly, Sumerian and Akkadian names in lexical series like Urra = hubullu grouped stars into paths across the sky, tying them to months and celestial phenomena for over 2,000 years from the third millennium BCE.^[7] Greek astronomers drew heavily from mythology, naming stars after heroic figures and beasts; Sirius, the brightest star, was called the "Dog Star" (Seirios) due to its placement in the constellation Canis Major and its heliacal rising, which ancient texts like Homer's Iliad associated with midsummer heat, fevers, and the "dog days" of drought.^[8] In Arabia, during the Islamic Golden Age, names like Aldebaran—derived from al-Dabarān, meaning "the follower"—described the star's apparent pursuit of the Pleiades cluster, as documented in al-Sufi's 10th-century Kitab suwar al-kawakib, which preserved and expanded Ptolemaic observations with descriptive, position-based nomenclature that persists in modern usage.^[9] Chinese traditions organized the sky into 306 asterisms and 28 lunar mansions, imbuing them with mythological significance; for example, the stars Altair and Vega represented the separated lovers Cowherd and Weaving Girl, whose annual reunion inspired festivals, while the Four Symbols—Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise—guarded cardinal directions in cosmic lore.^[10] Early informal cataloging efforts, such as those by Hipparchus in the 2nd century BCE and Ptolemy in the Almagest around 150 CE, listed approximately 1,020 stars within 48 constellation figures without standardized coordinates, instead describing them by relative positions like "the bright star on the right shoulder" and rating brightness on a 1–6 scale, with only a handful bearing proper names like Sirius.^[11] These catalogs built on observational traditions but remained tied to visual and cultural descriptors rather than uniform systems. Practical needs like navigation and agriculture profoundly shaped naming practices, as stars served as guides for travel and farming cycles. Polaris, though not always the pole star due to precession (with Thuban closer in 3500 BCE), was recognized in Mediterranean cultures for indicating north and estimating latitude via circumpolar constellations like Ursa Minor, influencing its enduring navigational moniker.^[12] In agricultural contexts, heliacal risings of stars like the Pleiades signaled planting and harvest in ancient Greece, as recorded in Euktemon's 5th-century BCE parapegma, which aligned 42 stellar observations with seasonal festivals for crops and linked them to deities like Demeter.^[13] These ad-hoc, culture-specific approaches gave way to more systematic conventions in the 17th century as European science sought universal standards.

Emergence of systematic conventions

The emergence of systematic conventions in astronomical naming began in the early 17th century, building on precursors from ancient and medieval traditions that relied on descriptive or mythological labels. A pivotal innovation came from Johann Bayer, a German lawyer and amateur astronomer, who in his 1603 star atlas Uranometria introduced a method of designating stars using Greek letters prefixed to the Latin genitive of the constellation name, such as α Orionis for the brightest star in Orion. Bayer assigned letters starting with alpha for the brightest stars and proceeding through the Greek alphabet in approximate order of decreasing brightness, creating a hierarchical and reproducible system for identifying up to 24 principal stars per constellation. This Bayer designation scheme provided the first widespread systematic nomenclature, facilitating precise references in subsequent observations and catalogs.^[14] By the early 18th century, efforts to extend systematic naming beyond bright stars led to numerical designations. John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal, compiled a comprehensive catalog in Historia Coelestis Britannica, published posthumously in 1725, which enumerated nearly 3,000 stars visible from Britain down to about 9th magnitude. Flamsteed's system assigned consecutive numbers to stars within each constellation, ordered roughly by increasing right ascension, as in 61 Cygni; this Flamsteed numbering complemented Bayer's letters by covering fainter stars and became a standard for non-lettered objects. The catalog's accuracy, derived from telescopic observations at Greenwich Observatory, marked a shift toward quantitative, position-based identification that reduced ambiguity in stellar references.^[15] The 19th century saw the scale of systematic catalogs expand dramatically, driven by improved instruments and institutional support. Friedrich Wilhelm August Argelander at the Bonn Observatory initiated the Bonner Durchmusterung in 1852, a visual survey using a meridian circle telescope that cataloged 324,198 stars brighter than 9.5 magnitude across the northern sky (declinations +90° to -2°). Stars were designated by their approximate right ascension and declination zones, such as BD +45 2147, providing a grid-like numbering that enabled efficient mapping and cross-referencing. Complementing positional systems, the Harvard classification scheme, developed at Harvard College Observatory under Edward Pickering and refined by Annie Jump Cannon, introduced spectral typing in the late 1880s and 1890s. Cannon's 1901 catalog in the Annals of the Astronomical Observatory of Harvard College classified 1,122 stars into the sequence O, B, A, F, G, K, M based on spectral line characteristics correlated with temperature, offering a systematic way to group stars by physical properties rather than just position or brightness. These catalogs established foundational frameworks for modern stellar nomenclature by integrating positional, numerical, and spectroscopic identifiers.^[16]^[17] Key institutional developments further propelled these conventions toward international standardization. The Royal Astronomical Society, founded in London in 1820 as the Astronomical Society of London and granted a royal charter in 1831, fostered collaboration through publications like Monthly Notices (from 1827), which disseminated catalog data and encouraged uniform observational practices among European astronomers. Similar bodies emerged, including the Astronomische Gesellschaft in 1863, which coordinated variable star observations across borders. Initial international agreements crystallized in projects like the Carte du Ciel, launched in 1887 by Amédée Mouchez at Paris Observatory, where 18 global institutions agreed to photographically map the entire sky and produce a uniform catalog of millions of stars using standardized zones and scales. This cooperative effort, formalized at the 1887 Astrophotographic Congress in Paris, exemplified pre-IAU harmonization of cataloging methods, laying groundwork for consistent nomenclature without formal governance.^[18]^[19]^[20]

Governing bodies and procedures

International Astronomical Union oversight

The International Astronomical Union (IAU), founded in 1919, serves as the internationally recognized authority for standardizing and approving official names and designations for celestial objects and features, promoting consistency in astronomical research and communication worldwide.^[21] Through its divisions and working groups, the IAU coordinates global efforts to ensure nomenclature reflects scientific merit and cultural diversity without commercial influence. Division F, focused on Planetary Systems and Astrobiology, holds primary responsibility for naming conventions related to solar system bodies, exoplanets, and associated features, overseeing working groups that handle proposals for minor planets, comets, and planetary surfaces.^[22] Key IAU resolutions have shaped modern naming practices, including the 1922 General Assembly in Rome, where the union adopted 88 official constellations with defined boundaries to delimit the celestial sphere unambiguously.^[23] Another pivotal resolution came in 1976 at the XVIth General Assembly in Grenoble, establishing guidelines for naming features on major planets and the Moon, emphasizing thematic consistency such as mythological or historical figures relevant to each body.^[24] IAU approval criteria prioritize uniqueness to prevent ambiguity, requiring names to be distinct from existing designations and limited in length for practicality, typically one word and pronounceable in multiple languages.^[3] Names must remain non-commercial, with the IAU explicitly dissociating from any paid naming services to maintain scientific integrity.^[25] Additionally, names honoring individuals generally avoid living persons to ensure impartiality; policies vary by category, with planetary surface features requiring honorees to be deceased for at least three years, while stellar names discourage personal tributes altogether.^[3]^[2] As of 2025, the IAU continues to refine its processes, notably through the Working Group on Star Names (WGSN), established in 2016 under Division C to catalog and approve proper names for stars, drawing from historical, cultural, and international sources while standardizing usage in research.^[26] The WGSN has approved hundreds of names, including recent additions like Āpaṃvatsa and Shengong in October 2025, ensuring equitable representation of global astronomical traditions.^[27]

Approval processes and committees

The approval of astronomical names falls under the oversight of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), which coordinates specialized working groups to ensure standardized and culturally sensitive nomenclature.^[28] Proposals for new names are typically submitted by discoverers or relevant research teams through dedicated IAU channels, requiring detailed justification of the proposed name's scientific, historical, or cultural significance, along with evidence of community consultation where applicable. For instance, submissions for small solar system bodies must include a citation explaining the name and adhere to guidelines prohibiting offensive, commercial, or overly similar terms, with proposals registered via an online form after approval from the Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature (WGSBN) secretary.^[4]^[29] Review occurs through thematic committees tailored to object types. The Working Group on Star Names (WGSN), established in 2016, evaluates and standardizes proper names for stars, drawing from historical records and public initiatives while prioritizing international consensus. For transient events like supernovae, the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT), in collaboration with the Transient Name Server (TNS), handles rapid assignments to facilitate timely research. Other bodies, such as the Working Group on Planetary System Nomenclature, assess names for planets and satellites, ensuring alignment with IAU conventions.^[27]^[30]^[31] Timelines vary by category: provisional designations, such as temporary codes for newly discovered minor planets or transients, are issued immediately upon verified reporting to the Minor Planet Center or TNS to support ongoing observations. Permanent names require verification of the object's stability and orbit, often taking 1-2 years, including committee deliberation and publication in official bulletins like the WGSBN Bulletin or IAU Transactions.^[32]^[3]

Stellar nomenclature

Proper names for stars

Proper names for stars refer to traditional, culturally significant designations assigned to individual stars, distinct from systematic catalog identifiers. These names often preserve historical and linguistic heritage, allowing astronomers and the public to connect with ancient skywatching traditions. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) standardizes such names to ensure consistency in scientific communication while honoring diverse cultural origins. Many approved proper names originate from Arabic, Latin, and indigenous traditions, reflecting centuries of global astronomical knowledge. For example, Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis) derives from the Arabic "Yad al-Jauzā’," meaning "the hand of the central one," a reference to Orion's shoulder in medieval Arabic astronomy.^[33] Similarly, Latin influences appear in names like Antares ("rival of Mars") for the red supergiant in Scorpius, while indigenous contributions include Hoerikwaggo, a Khoekhoe name meaning "sea-mountain" for a star in the Southern Cross, highlighting African cultural perspectives.^[34] Through its Working Group on Star Names (WGSN), established in 2016, the IAU has compiled and approved over 500 such names as of 2025, prioritizing those with documented historical usage to maintain cultural integrity and avoid duplication.^[34] Naming stars after people is exceptionally rare and restricted to posthumous honors, typically within structured IAU initiatives. One notable example is Copernicus, assigned to 55 Cancri A in 2015 via the IAU's NameExoWorlds campaign, commemorating the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus for his heliocentric model.^[35] This approach underscores the IAU's emphasis on scientific legacy over personal commemoration, and since 2022, the organization has explicitly prohibited naming stars after individuals—living or deceased—to prioritize thematic and cultural names instead.^[2] Public naming campaigns provide opportunities for global engagement but are tightly regulated to prevent commercialization and ensure equitable representation. The IAU's NameExoWorlds project, for instance, invites public proposals through national committees, resulting in approved names like those for exoplanet host stars while rejecting profit-driven efforts. Commercial initiatives, such as Uwingu's 2013 contest to name planets around Alpha Centauri, were dismissed by the IAU as having no official standing, emphasizing that only vetted, non-commercial processes yield recognized names. Historical proper names for Alpha Centauri's components, like Rigil Kentaurus for Alpha Centauri A (meaning "foot of the centaur" in Latinized Arabic), were formalized in 2016 under these guidelines, blending public input with tradition.^[36] For the majority of stars lacking proper names, alternatives such as Bayer letters or Flamsteed numbers serve as standard designations.

Catalog designations for stars

Catalog designations provide systematic, impersonal identifiers for stars, particularly those lacking traditional proper names, enabling precise referencing in astronomical research and databases. These systems emerged to catalog the vast number of stars visible to the naked eye and through telescopes, assigning labels based on position, brightness, or observational data rather than cultural significance.^[26] The Bayer designation, introduced by Johann Bayer in his 1603 atlas Uranometria, assigns Greek letters—starting with alpha for the brightest star and proceeding through the alphabet—to the principal stars in each constellation, followed by the genitive form of the constellation name. For instance, α Orionis denotes the brightest star in Orion, while subsequent letters like β Orionis identify fainter ones in approximate order of decreasing brightness. This system, limited by the 24 Greek letters, was later extended with Latin letters (a–z) for additional stars, though it primarily targets the brightest visible stars per constellation and does not cover all stellar populations uniformly.^[26] Complementing the Bayer system, the Flamsteed designation, developed by John Flamsteed and published in his 1725 Historia Coelestis Britannica, numbers stars sequentially by increasing right ascension within each constellation, prefixed by the constellation's genitive name. An example is 61 Cygni, which identifies a star in Cygnus based on its positional order rather than brightness. This approach provides a more exhaustive numbering for stars observable from Britain, filling gaps left by Bayer's letter-based scheme, and remains in use for many naked-eye stars.^[26] Modern catalogs have expanded these early systems to encompass millions of stars with detailed astrophysical data. The Henry Draper Catalogue (HD), compiled by the Harvard College Observatory between 1918 and 1924, assigns sequential numbers to over 225,000 stars while classifying their spectral types, facilitating studies of stellar evolution.^[37] The Hipparcos Catalogue (HIP), released by the European Space Agency in 1997 from satellite observations, provides high-precision positions, parallaxes, and proper motions for 118,218 stars, numbered sequentially as HIP followed by a unique identifier.^[38] More recently, the Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3) in 2022, also from ESA, delivers astrometric data including parallaxes for over 1.8 billion sources, using source identifiers like Gaia DR3 1234567890 to enable distance measurements and 3D mapping of the Milky Way.^[39] For newly discovered or uncataloged stars, provisional designations from surveys like the US Naval Observatory's USNO-B1.0 (released 2003) use formats such as USNO-B1.0 1450-0123456, combining plate identifiers and positional indices from digitized sky plates to temporarily label objects pending full catalog integration. These designations often overlay proper names for prominent stars, such as α Lyrae also known as Vega.^[26]

Designations for variable and compact objects

Variable stars, which exhibit periodic or irregular changes in brightness, receive designations through a systematic scheme managed by the General Catalogue of Variable Stars (GCVS), maintained by the Sternberg Astronomical Institute.^[40] The initial variables in each constellation are assigned single letters from R to Z, followed by the genitive form of the constellation name (e.g., RR Lyrae in Lyra).^[40] Once the single-letter sequence is exhausted, double letters are used, progressing from RR to RZ, then SS to SZ, up to ZZ, skipping combinations with J to avoid confusion with numbers, yielding 334 possible names per constellation.^[40] For additional variables, numerical designations begin with V001 to V999, appended to the constellation abbreviation (e.g., V335 Car in Carina), assigned in order of discovery and confirmation of variability.^[40] These names are permanently recorded in the GCVS, with the latest edition (version 5.1 as of 2024) incorporating over 89,000 confirmed variables primarily within the Milky Way.^[41] Compact objects, such as pulsars and neutron stars, employ coordinate-based designations to reflect their precise sky positions and discovery contexts, standardized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Pulsars, rapidly rotating neutron stars emitting beamed radio pulses, are named using the "PSR J" prefix followed by their J2000.0 equatorial coordinates in the format HHMMSS.ss+DDMMSS.s, truncated for brevity (e.g., PSR J0737-3039A for a binary system in the Double Pulsar).^[42] This convention, recommended by the IAU Working Group on Nomenclature during the 1982 General Assembly and formalized in subsequent publications, ensures unambiguous identification based on right ascension (hours, minutes, seconds) and declination (degrees, minutes, seconds), with suffixes like A or B for multiple pulsars in the same position.^[42] The "J" denotes the J2000.0 epoch, distinguishing it from earlier B1950.0 formats like PSR 0531+21.^[42] Black holes, often identified through X-ray emissions from accretion disks, lack a unified naming scheme but commonly adopt designations from their host systems or discovery surveys, with IAU oversight for optical or multi-wavelength counterparts. Stellar-mass black holes in binary systems frequently share the name of the companion star or the X-ray source catalog (e.g., Cygnus X-1, the first widely accepted black hole candidate, named as the primary X-ray source in Cygnus).^[43] Supermassive black holes are typically referenced by their host galaxy (e.g., Sagittarius A* in the Milky Way's center) or event horizon telescope images (e.g., M87*), where the asterisk denotes the active nucleus.^[43] When optical counterparts are confirmed, the IAU coordinates naming to align with existing stellar or galactic conventions, preventing duplication.^[24] Neutron stars, the dense remnants of massive star explosions, generally follow pulsar naming if they are observed as radio pulsars, but non-pulsing or transient neutron stars use similar coordinate-based identifiers. Magnetars, a subclass of neutron stars with extreme magnetic fields, are often designated via soft gamma repeater (SGR) or anomalous X-ray pulsar (AXP) formats, such as SGR 1806−20, reflecting their discovery as transient X-ray or gamma-ray sources with position-based labels.^[44] For rapid discoveries, transient name servers like the Astronomer's Telegram (ATel) provide provisional names, which the IAU may standardize into permanent designations akin to pulsar formats upon confirmation. This approach ensures consistency across compact object types while accommodating their transient or high-energy detection methods.

Constellation and sky pattern nomenclature

Official constellation names

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) established the modern system of official constellation names in 1922, delimiting 88 constellations that cover the entire celestial sphere without overlap.^[45] This standardization drew from ancient traditions, incorporating the 48 constellations cataloged by the 2nd-century astronomer Claudius Ptolemy in his Almagest, such as Andromeda, Aquarius, and Orion, while adding newer ones to account for observations of the southern skies.^[46] The 1922 decision at the IAU's first General Assembly in Rome formalized these boundaries, which were precisely defined in equatorial coordinates by astronomer Eugène Delporte and approved in 1928.^[45] All official constellation names are Latinized, reflecting a convention rooted in classical astronomy to ensure universality and precision.^[47] For instance, the constellation representing the great bear is named Ursa Major, while the hunter figure is Orion; these nominative forms are used in general references.^[45] Each also has a genitive form for possessive use in stellar designations, such as Ursae Majoris or Orionis, allowing names like Alpha Orionis to denote the brightest star in Orion.^[47] This dual naming system facilitates systematic cataloging across astronomical literature. The 1922 IAU list resolved historical redundancies by eliminating overlapping or oversized ancient figures, notably splitting the expansive Ptolemaic constellation Argo Navis—the ship of the Argonauts—into three distinct parts: Carina (the keel), Puppis (the stern), and Vela (the sails), a division originally proposed by French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille in the mid-18th century.^[47] Lacaille's contributions were pivotal for southern hemisphere representation, as his 1750s observations from the Cape of Good Hope introduced 14 new constellations, including Microscopium (the microscope) and Antlia (the air pump), which were Latinized and integrated into the IAU's official roster to complete the global sky mapping.^[47]

Asterisms and informal patterns

Asterisms are prominent patterns of stars or other celestial objects that form recognizable shapes in the sky, distinct from the 88 officially delimited constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Unlike constellations, which are defined areas of the celestial sphere, asterisms are informal groupings that can span multiple constellations or lie entirely within one, serving as navigational or cultural aids without fixed boundaries.^[48] A classic example is the Big Dipper, an asterism comprising seven bright stars that outline the hindquarters and tail of the bear in the constellation Ursa Major. Visible year-round in the Northern Hemisphere, this pattern has been used historically for navigation and timekeeping, with its "pointer stars" guiding observers to Polaris, the North Star.^[49]^[50] Cultural asterisms often reflect indigenous knowledge and storytelling, incorporating not just bright stars but also dark nebulae or gaps in the Milky Way. In Australian Aboriginal astronomy, the Emu in the Sky is a prominent asterism formed by the dark dust lanes of the Coalsack Nebula and surrounding Milky Way regions, visible from April to June and signaling the breeding season of emus on Earth, when eggs become available for harvest. This pattern, known as Gugurmin in some traditions, underscores the interconnectedness of sky and land in Indigenous Australian lore.^[51]^[52] Modern informal asterisms, frequently highlighted in educational and amateur astronomy, include the Summer Triangle and the Great Square of Pegasus. The Summer Triangle connects the bright stars Vega in Lyra, Deneb in Cygnus, and Altair in Aquila, forming a large triangular shape prominent in Northern Hemisphere summer skies and used to locate nearby deep-sky objects like the Ring Nebula. Similarly, the Great Square of Pegasus outlines a quadrilateral using stars from Pegasus (Markab, Scheat, Algenib) and Andromeda (Alpheratz), appearing high in autumn evenings and aiding in identifying fall constellations. These patterns lack official status but enhance public engagement with the night sky.^[53]^[54]^[55]^[56] The key distinction between asterisms and constellations lies in their lack of IAU governance; asterisms receive no formal protection or standardization, permitting diverse cultural interpretations and names across societies without conflicting with the official 88 constellations that serve as their containing frameworks. This flexibility allows asterisms to evolve in popular use while constellations maintain precise boundaries for scientific cataloging.^[57]^[48]

Solar System object nomenclature

Planets and dwarf planets

The naming of the eight major planets in the Solar System follows a longstanding tradition rooted in Greco-Roman mythology, where each planet is associated with a deity or mythological figure reflecting its observed characteristics or cultural significance. This convention originated in ancient times, with the five visible planets—Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn—named after the Roman gods of commerce and travel, love and beauty, war, the sky and thunder, and agriculture and time, respectively. Earth stands as an exception, deriving its name from the Old English word "eorþe," meaning ground, rather than a mythological figure. These names were standardized in Western astronomy by the Renaissance and are overseen by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).^[58] The tradition extended to the outer planets following their discoveries. Uranus, identified as a planet by William Herschel on March 13, 1781, was initially proposed to be named Georgium Sidus in honor of King George III, but by 1783, astronomers adopted the mythological name Uranus, after the Greek primordial god of the sky, to align with the established Roman naming scheme. Neptune, discovered on September 23-24, 1846, by Johann Galle and Urbain Le Verrier's predictions, was named after the Roman god of the sea, reflecting its bluish hue and distant, watery association; this name gained consensus at the Royal Astronomical Society in 1846. These extensions maintained the mythological bias while adapting to new discoveries.^[59]^[60] Dwarf planets, a category established by the IAU in its 2006 Prague General Assembly resolution, are named following similar mythological or cultural inspirations but require formal approval after provisional designations. The resolution defined a dwarf planet as a celestial body orbiting the Sun that is massive enough to achieve hydrostatic equilibrium but has not cleared its orbital neighborhood. The five officially recognized dwarf planets are Ceres, named in 1801 after the Roman goddess of agriculture; Pluto, suggested in 1930 by 11-year-old Venetia Burney after the Roman god of the underworld and formally adopted by the Lowell Observatory; Eris, named in 2006 after the Greek goddess of discord; Haumea, named in 2008 after the Hawaiian goddess of fertility and childbirth; and Makemake, named in 2009 after a Rapa Nui creation deity. These names honor diverse cultural mythologies, diverging from strict Roman origins to promote inclusivity.^[61]^[62]^[63]^[64] Newly discovered candidates receive provisional numerical designations, such as 2003 UB313 for Eris before its permanent name, assigned by the IAU's Minor Planet Center until orbits are confirmed and names proposed. As of November 2025, the IAU continues to evaluate candidates like Sedna—discovered in 2003 and informally named after the Inuit goddess of the sea, with its designation 90377 Sedna accepted by the IAU's Committee on Small Body Nomenclature in 2004—for official dwarf planet status, requiring a vote and verification of hydrostatic equilibrium. Surface features on these bodies, such as craters or regions, are named thematically to complement the primary body's nomenclature, per IAU guidelines.^[63]^[65]

Natural satellites

Natural satellites, commonly known as moons, orbiting planets and dwarf planets in the Solar System are named under guidelines set by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN), which prioritize mythological or literary themes tied to the parent body's nomenclature to maintain thematic consistency.^[66] These conventions ensure names are pronounceable, non-duplicative with other astronomical objects, and free from political, military, or religious connotations, with proposals requiring approval after orbital confirmation.^[3] Permanent names are assigned only once the satellite's orbit is well-determined, emphasizing scientific utility over commemorative intent.^[3] The discovery process for natural satellites begins with provisional designations issued by the IAU Minor Planet Center, using the format "S/" followed by the discovery year, the parent body's letter (e.g., J for Jupiter, N for Neptune), and a sequential number for multiple discoveries in that year, such as S/2004 N 1 for the first Neptune satellite discovered in 2004.^[67] These temporary labels, like S/2003 J 2 for a Jovian moon, allow tracking during follow-up observations to refine orbits, after which discoverers propose permanent names adhering to the thematic rules.^[68] For instance, the irregular satellite later named Sao was initially designated S/2002 J 3 upon its 2002 detection around Jupiter.^[68] Early discoveries established the mythological precedent, with Jupiter's four largest moons—Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto—identified by Galileo Galilei in 1610 and formally named in 1614 by Simon Marius after mythological figures associated with Zeus, Jupiter's Greek counterpart, such as lovers or cupbearers.^[69] Saturn's prominent moon Titan, spotted by Christiaan Huygens in 1655, draws its name from the race of deities in Greek mythology, aligning with Saturn's (Cronus) thematic link to Titans as his offspring.^[69] These names reflect the parent planet's Roman/Greek godly identity, a pattern extended to other systems: Uranus satellites honor Shakespearean and Alexander Pope characters (e.g., Ariel from The Tempest), Neptune's evoke sea deities or Nereids (e.g., Triton as Poseidon's son), and Pluto's draw from underworld myths (e.g., Charon as the ferryman).^[66] Irregular satellites, typically smaller and in distant, inclined, or retrograde orbits suggesting capture origins, follow the same planetary themes but are often named later due to challenging observations; for example, Jupiter's Himalia, discovered in 1904 and confirmed as an irregular prograde moon, is named after a nymph who bore Zeus's children, with its name ending in "-a" per convention for prograde irregulars.^[66] Saturn's retrograde irregular Phoebe, found in 1898, honors a Titaness, fitting the Norse giant theme for such orbits in that system.^[66] Names for these are proposed by discoverers and approved by the WGPSN, ensuring alignment with the parent body's mythology without numerical prefixes unless orbits remain uncertain.^[3] No exomoons—natural satellites of exoplanets—have been definitively discovered as of 2025, but IAU guidelines for exoplanets provide a framework that would likely extend to them, using provisional designations like a lowercase letter for the planet (e.g., "b") followed by a Roman numeral for the moon (e.g., "b I" for the first).^[70] This mirrors Solar System practices while integrating with the host star's catalog name, such as Kepler-1625 b I, pending formal WGPSN adoption upon confirmation.^[70]

Minor planets and asteroids

Minor planets, also known as asteroids, are small rocky bodies orbiting the Sun, primarily in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, but also in other regions such as near-Earth space and the Kuiper Belt. Their naming conventions distinguish between provisional designations for newly discovered objects and permanent designations for those with well-established orbits. The Minor Planet Center (MPC), operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory under International Astronomical Union (IAU) auspices, serves as the central clearinghouse for discovering, designating, and naming these objects. Newly discovered minor planets receive provisional designations in the format of the discovery year followed by a two-letter code indicating the half-month of discovery and a sequential number, such as 2012 DA14 for an object found in the first half of January 2012.^[71] This system, introduced in 1925, ensures unique identification while observations accumulate to refine the orbit; letters progress from A to Z (skipping I and O to avoid confusion with numerals), and if more than 25 objects are discovered in a half-month, a numeral is appended, like 1999 AN10.^[72] The MPC assigns these designations once at least two nights of observations confirm the object is not previously known, preventing duplication and facilitating international tracking.^[73] Once an object's orbit is accurately determined—typically after multiple observations spanning at least an opposition—it qualifies for a permanent number, such as (1) for the first asteroid discovered. By late 2025, approximately 875,000 minor planets have been numbered, reflecting advances in survey telescopes like Pan-STARRS and the Catalina Sky Survey.^[74] Numbered objects may then receive proper names proposed by their discoverers, subject to approval by the IAU's Working Group Small Body Nomenclature (WGSBN). Permanent names often draw from mythology, historical figures, scientists, places, or thematic concepts relevant to the object's characteristics or discovery context, ensuring they are pronounceable, non-offensive, and unambiguous in major languages. For instance, (1) Ceres, discovered in 1801 by Giuseppe Piazzi, honors the Roman goddess of agriculture, fitting its position in the "missing planet" search between Mars and Jupiter. Similarly, (243) Ida, identified in 1884, references a nymph from Greek mythology associated with Mount Ida. Another example is (99942) Apophis, numbered in 2005 and named after the Egyptian god of chaos and destruction, evoking its potential close approach to Earth in 2029. The WGSBN reviews proposals to maintain consistency, prohibiting names of living persons, political figures, or commercial entities.^[29] Some numbered minor planets also hold dwarf planet status under IAU criteria, blending asteroid and planetary nomenclature; Ceres, for example, remains designated as (1) Ceres despite its 2006 classification as a dwarf planet due to its hydrostatic equilibrium and sufficient mass to clear its orbital neighborhood. This overlap highlights the evolving categorization of small solar system bodies, with the MPC continuing to track both aspects.

Comets

Comet naming conventions have evolved from honoring individual discoverers in the pre-telescopic era to a standardized system managed by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) that accommodates modern collaborative surveys. Traditionally, comets were named after the person who first observed or predicted their return, such as Halley's Comet, named for Edmond Halley who in 1705 predicted its periodic orbit based on historical records, with its first telescopic confirmation in 1758.^[75] This practice emphasized the discoverer's surname, often resulting in eponyms like Comet Encke for Johann Franz Encke, who calculated its orbit in 1819 despite earlier sightings.^[76] Such names persist for well-known periodic comets, but the IAU guidelines, adopted in 2003, prioritize individual last names while allowing up to three in exceptional cases, such as rediscoveries of lost comets.^[76] In the contemporary system, all comets receive a provisional coded designation upon discovery, consisting of a prefix indicating orbital type, the discovery year, a letter for the half-month of detection (A for January 1–15, B for January 16–31, progressing alphabetically through Y for December 16–31), and a sequential number for the order of discovery within that interval. For example, C/2024 S1 denotes a non-periodic comet discovered in the second half of September 2024 as the first in that period.^[75] The prefix "C/" applies to long-period comets with orbits exceeding 200 years or hyperbolic trajectories, while "P/" is used for short-period comets with orbital periods of 200 years or less; periodic comets also receive a permanent number upon confirmation of multiple returns, as in 1P/Halley.^[76] These designations are assigned by the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT) in consultation with the Minor Planet Center (MPC), which coordinates orbital computations.^[75] The proper name follows the coded designation in parentheses and honors the primary discoverer(s) or the survey responsible, reflecting the shift toward automated detection in the collaborative era. For instance, Comet Hale–Bopp is formally C/1995 O1 (Hale–Bopp), crediting independent discoverers Alan Hale and Thomas B. Bopp in 1995, with hyphenated surnames for joint credits limited to two or three names per IAU rules.^[76] Survey-discovered comets, such as those from the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), use the facility acronym, as in C/2022 E3 (ZTF), where the ZTF collaboration's automated pipeline identified the comet in March 2022.^[75] Similarly, the ATLAS survey yields names like C/2024 S1 (ATLAS). In cases of multi-survey involvement, combined names are used, such as 504P/WISE-PANSTARRS for a short-period comet confirmed across returns.^[77] Recent updates from the CBAT in 2025 address the increasing prevalence of collaborative discoveries by formalizing name assignments for survey-detected objects, ensuring credit to the originating team while adhering to the three-name limit; for example, CBET 5591 assigned names like C/2025 L2 (MAPS) to Mars Atmospheric and Polar Survey contributions and numbered short-period comets from joint efforts like WISE and LINEAR.^[77] This evolution maintains the discoverer-focused tradition amid large-scale sky surveys, with the MPC providing orbital data to distinguish cometary activity from asteroidal paths in borderline cases.^[76]

Surface feature nomenclature

Geological features on planetary bodies

The International Astronomical Union (IAU), in collaboration with the Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN), establishes standardized themes for naming geological features on planetary bodies, including planets, moons, and asteroids, to ensure scientific clarity and international consistency.^[3] These names typically combine a proper name with a descriptor term indicating the feature type, such as "crater," "mons" for mountain or volcano, "patera" for an irregular crater-like structure, or "tholus" for a small domical mountain, though craters often omit the explicit descriptor.^[78] The process prioritizes features of significant scientific or cartographic value, generally leaving those smaller than 100 meters unnamed unless they hold exceptional interest, while larger features receive approved names based on body-specific themes.^[3] Craters, the most common geological features, follow thematic conventions tied to the host body. On the Moon, craters are named after scientists, engineers, explorers, and astronomers, such as Tycho crater honoring the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe; smaller satellite craters within larger ones are often lettered (e.g., Tycho A).^[79] Martian craters larger than about 50 kilometers honor scientists and writers who contributed to planetary knowledge, while smaller ones draw from global towns and villages; Olympus Mons, Mars's largest volcano (a "mons"), exemplifies the broader theme of classical mythology and albedo features for volcanic structures.^[79] On Venus, craters over 20 kilometers commemorate notable women in history and science, with smaller ones using female first names, reflecting a gender-specific theme; volcanic features like coronae (ovoid structures) are named after fertility goddesses. Mercury's craters recognize deceased artists, musicians, and authors who made significant cultural contributions at least 50 years prior. For asteroids, such as Vesta, craters like the vast Rheasilvia (over 500 kilometers wide) are named after Vestal virgins and Roman women, aligning with the body's mythological theme.^[79]^[79]^[79] Other landforms adhere to similar body-tailored rules to evoke conceptual or historical relevance without overlap. For instance, Martian valles (valleys) over 400 kilometers long use names for Mars or stars in various languages, while smaller ones reference classical albedo features or rivers on Earth. The IAU's Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature maintains a comprehensive database of these approvals, containing 15,941 named features across planets, satellites, and small bodies as of 2024, facilitating global research and mapping efforts.^[79]^[80]

Cartographic and thematic naming guidelines

Cartographic naming conventions in planetary nomenclature establish standardized frameworks for mapping surfaces of Solar System bodies, including coordinate systems and designations for large-scale planar regions that facilitate scientific and exploratory reference. These guidelines, developed by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) since the 1970s, emphasize utility for cartography while adhering to thematic consistency to avoid confusion across global research communities.^[3] Planar features, such as vast basins or plains, are named using descriptor terms like maria (Latin for "seas"), planitiae (plains), terrae (highlands), and regiones (regions), which denote broad topographic or albedo-based divisions rather than specific geological processes. For instance, on the Moon, maria are named after Latin terms for weather phenomena, such as Mare Tranquillitatis (Sea of Tranquility), reflecting historical telescopic observations of dark basaltic plains.^[79] Similarly, Venus's planitiae draw from names of mythological heroines, as in Guinevere Planitia, to highlight expansive lowlands.^[79] Thematic naming for these features is governed by IAU resolutions that assign body-specific motifs to ensure cultural and scientific relevance, with approvals tracked through the IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN). Established in resolutions from 1973 onward and updated through 2025, these themes prioritize international accessibility and historical ties to discovery. On Mars, large planitiae and terrae evoke classical albedo features or mythological elements, such as Amazonis Planitia, while craters within them honor scientists and explorers like Herschel. For Jupiter's moon Europa, regiones and lineae (linear features) reference figures from the Europa myth or Celtic stone rows, including Argadnel Regio, tying to the satellite's icy, fractured terrain observed since the Galileo mission. These conventions extend to other bodies, like Titan's terrae named after sacred places in various cultures, promoting a thematic unity that aids in mapping subsurface or atmospheric contexts.^[79]^[3] Cartographic elements, including longitude and latitude grids, provide the foundational grid for all naming, with the prime meridian often defined relative to a prominent crater or feature for rotational reference. The IAU Working Group on Cartographic Coordinates and Rotational Elements (WGCCRE) standardizes pole designations, such as the Lunar North Pole at 90°N latitude, ensuring consistent orientation across maps and missions; southern hemispheres use analogous South Pole labels. Boundaries for large regions are approximated by central coordinates, refined as higher-resolution data emerges, to support precise navigation for spacecraft like those in the Artemis program.^[3] In the 2020s, IAU guidelines have increasingly emphasized inclusivity to address historical biases, with Rule 8 of the WGPSN mandating equitable representation across ethnicities, genders, and nationalities in name proposals. This push, informed by analyses showing improved diversity—such as women's commemorative names rising from 21% (pre-2014) to 42% (2014–2023) and non-European origins increasing from 25.6% (1935-2013) to 62.4% (2014-2023), as Europe decreased from 74.4% to 37.6%—aims to incorporate indigenous and underrepresented perspectives while avoiding colonial-era preferences. Recent approvals, like Afar Lobus on asteroid (52246) Donaldjohanson honoring the Afar Triangle (Ethiopia), a site of many important fossil finds representing African heritage, exemplify efforts to broaden thematic sources beyond Eurocentric motifs.^[3]^[80]^[81]

Extrasolar and extragalactic nomenclature

Exoplanets and exomoons

Exoplanets are provisionally designated using the catalog name of their host star followed by a lowercase letter indicating the order of discovery, starting with 'b' for the first planet identified around that star.^[82] This convention extends the nomenclature for multiple-star systems and ensures systematic identification without implying physical properties. The first extrasolar planet discovered orbiting a main-sequence star, 51 Pegasi b, was named in this manner in 1995, marking the beginning of standardized exoplanet designations.^[82] For systems with multiple planets detected simultaneously, letters are assigned in order of increasing semi-major axis, with 'b' for the innermost.^[82] An example is the TRAPPIST-1 system, where planets are labeled TRAPPIST-1b through TRAPPIST-1h based on their orbital distances.^[82] In multi-planet systems, subsequent discoveries receive the next available letter regardless of orbital position, prioritizing chronological order over distance if planets are found at different times.^[82] This approach avoids retroactive renumbering and accommodates the rapid pace of discoveries from surveys like Kepler and TESS. The host star's catalog name, such as HD 189733 or Kepler-452, provides a brief reference to its position in astronomical catalogs like the Henry Draper Catalogue.^[82] Proper names for exoplanets and their host stars are assigned through the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) NameExoWorlds public campaigns, which began in 2015 to engage global participation in nomenclature.^[83] These names are limited to confirmed exoplanets and follow thematic guidelines, often drawing from mythology, culture, or science, with pairs for the planet and star required to share a common theme.^[83] In the inaugural 2015 campaign, 31 exoplanets and 14 host stars received proper names based on over 573,000 public votes, including 55 Cancri e renamed Janssen after the telescope inventor Zacharias Janssen.^[83] Subsequent campaigns in 2019 and beyond have continued this process, emphasizing inclusivity while adhering to IAU style rules for capitalization and length.^[84] No formal IAU naming convention exists for exomoons as of November 2025, though provisional designations for candidates follow the host exoplanet's name appended with a lowercase letter, such as Kepler-1625b i for a potential Neptune-sized moon orbiting the gas giant Kepler-1625b.^[85] This candidate, proposed based on Hubble Space Telescope observations of transit timing variations, uses the lowercase 'i' to denote the first hypothesized satellite, analogous to Solar System moon designations.^[86] IAU guidelines for exomoons remain under development, with ongoing discussions expected to formalize standards similar to those for exoplanets once confirmed detections occur.^[85]

Galaxies and deep-sky objects

The naming of galaxies and deep-sky objects, such as nebulae and star clusters beyond the Milky Way, primarily relies on systematic catalogs rather than proper names, with the International Astronomical Union (IAU) recommending the use of established catalog designations for scientific purposes to avoid conflicts and ensure consistency.^[87] These objects are often identified by alphanumeric codes derived from historical or survey-based enumerations, supplemented by descriptive common names for particularly prominent examples. The IAU coordinates resolutions on nomenclature but does not assign proper names to most deep-sky objects, deferring to catalog systems.^[88] One of the earliest and most influential catalogs is the Messier catalog, compiled by French astronomer Charles Messier starting in 1758 and first published in 1774 with 45 entries, later expanded to 110 objects by 1781.^[89] These include galaxies, nebulae, and clusters observable from the Northern Hemisphere, designated as M followed by a number from 1 to 110 (e.g., M31 for the Andromeda Galaxy).^[90] The catalog was originally created to distinguish deep-sky objects from comets, Messier's primary interest, and remains widely used for its historical significance and accessibility to amateur astronomers. A more comprehensive system emerged with the New General Catalogue (NGC), published in 1888 by Danish-Irish astronomer J. Louis E. Dreyer, which lists 7,840 deep-sky objects including over 5,000 galaxies, based on earlier observations from William Herschel and others.^[91] Objects are numbered sequentially in order of right ascension, prefixed by NGC (e.g., NGC 4565, the Needle Galaxy). Dreyer supplemented it with the Index Catalogue (IC) in 1895 and 1908, adding 5,386 more entries for newly discovered objects, designated IC followed by a number (e.g., IC 1101, one of the largest known galaxies).^[92] These catalogs form the backbone of deep-sky nomenclature, with modern revisions like the Revised NGC/IC correcting errors and incorporating updated positions. Galaxies often receive descriptive common names based on their appearance or location when they are visually striking, such as the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51, or NGC 5194) for its spiral structure or the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) due to its position in the constellation Andromeda.^[93] For less prominent galaxies, designations draw from specialized catalogs like the Uppsala General Catalogue (UGC), published in 1973, which enumerates 12,921 northern-hemisphere galaxies by right ascension order (e.g., UGC 2885).^[94] These systematic names prioritize coordinates or survey data over descriptive labels to facilitate precise identification. Recent large-scale surveys have vastly expanded the cataloging of galaxies and deep-sky objects, introducing millions of provisional designations. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), ongoing since 2000, designates objects using the format SDSS JHHMMSS.ss+DDMMSS.s, based on J2000 equatorial coordinates (e.g., SDSS J125527.50+375642.0 for a galaxy), with over 2.8 million galaxies spectroscopically observed by Data Release 17 in 2021.^[95] Similarly, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) survey, which began full operations in 2021, has mapped more than 14 million galaxies and quasars by its 2025 Data Release 2, using type-specific prefixes like BGS for bright galaxies or LRG for luminous red galaxies, often combined with coordinates or internal IDs for provisional naming.^[96] For quasars, a subset of deep-sky objects, provisional names follow the QSO J format with coordinates (e.g., QSO J0100+2802), reflecting their discovery in surveys like SDSS and DESI.^[97] These modern systems emphasize redshift and positional data, enabling the study of cosmic structure on unprecedented scales.

Special cases in transient events

Supernovae designations

Supernovae, the explosive deaths of massive stars or thermonuclear detonations on white dwarfs, receive rapid provisional designations to facilitate international collaboration among astronomers. The International Astronomical Union (IAU), through the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT), oversees the official naming system, which assigns identifiers based on discovery reports without regard to the supernova's spectral type, such as Ia or Ib/c. This ensures a neutral, sequential process focused on timeliness rather than classification.^[98]^[99] The standard format is "SN" followed by the discovery year and a sequential alphanumeric code, starting with capital letters A through Z for the first 26 events of the year, then lowercase pairs like aa, ab, up to zz, and beyond if needed. For instance, the well-known SN 1987A occurred in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). This system traces its origins to the late 19th century; the first extragalactic supernova to receive such a designation was S Andromedae (SN 1885A), discovered on August 20, 1885, in the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) by Ernst Hartwig at the Dorpat Observatory.^[100] In modern times, automated sky surveys have dramatically increased discovery rates, with thousands of supernovae reported annually—such as over 10,000 classified by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) alone since 2018—enabling detailed studies of their diversity and cosmological roles.^[101]^[102] Survey-specific provisional names often include a host galaxy reference for context, particularly for nearby events. The All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN), which targets bright transients visible to the naked eye, uses formats like ASASSN-year-letter, such as ASASSN-15oz, a Type IIL supernova in the edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 4526.^[103]^[104] These names link the event to its galactic environment, drawing from catalogs like the New General Catalogue (NGC) for precise positioning. As of 2025, the IAU's Transient Name Server (TNS) serves as the central platform for real-time reporting and coordination, replacing earlier manual processes to handle the surge in detections from wide-field telescopes. Candidate supernovae receive provisional "AT" (Astronomical Transient) labels upon submission, triggering rapid spectroscopic follow-up by global teams; confirmed events then acquire permanent "SN year-letter" designations via CBAT circulars. This protocol ensures efficient alert distribution through networks like the Astronomer's Telegram, prioritizing spectroscopic verification to distinguish true supernovae from other transients.^[31]^[105]

Novae and other eruptive phenomena

Novae, as a subclass of cataclysmic variables, receive provisional designations upon discovery to facilitate rapid communication among astronomers, typically in the form of "Nova" followed by the genitive form of the constellation name and the year of the eruption, with a sequential number if multiple events occur in the same constellation that year (e.g., Nova Sagittarii 2015 No. 2).^[106] These provisional names are announced via Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT) circulars, which serve as the official IAU conduit for transient event reports. Prior to spectroscopic confirmation, candidates may also receive a temporary "PNV" (possible nova) designation based on equatorial coordinates, such as PNV J18365700-2855420 for the aforementioned Nova Sagittarii 2015 No. 2. Once confirmed as novae through spectroscopy and assigned a permanent variable star designation by the IAU's Working Group on Variable Stars (via the General Catalogue of Variable Stars, GCVS), they follow the standard variable star nomenclature system. This system, established by Friedrich Argelander in the 19th century and refined by the IAU, assigns identifiers by discovery order within each constellation: the first nine variables receive letters R through Z, followed by double-letter combinations (RR to RZ, then RS to SZ, up to QZ, excluding those starting with J to avoid confusion with I), and subsequently numerical suffixes (e.g., V335, V336) for additional discoveries.^[107] The full designation appends the constellation's Latin genitive, yielding names like V603 Aquilae or T Coronae Borealis.^[108] For historical novae predating this system, such as Nova Cygni 1975 (later V1500 Cygni), the provisional "Nova [constellation] [year]" format persists alongside the variable designation.^[26] Recurrent novae, which undergo multiple eruptions on timescales of decades to centuries, adhere to the same conventions but often retain evocative historical names like T Coronae Borealis (T CrB), the prototype for its class, discovered in 1866 and confirmed recurrent in 1946.^[106] Other eruptive phenomena, including dwarf novae (outbursts in accretion disks of cataclysmic binaries) and symbiotic stars (eruptive binaries with Mira-like giants), are classified under the GCVS and receive variable star designations without special provisional prefixes, emphasizing their periodic or semi-periodic variability rather than one-off events. For instance, SS Cygni, a prototypical dwarf nova, exemplifies the double-letter system as the 19th variable discovered in Cygnus.^[107] These names prioritize positional uniqueness and chronological order, ensuring interoperability across astronomical databases like SIMBAD and the IAU-approved GCVS.^[108] In cases of extragalactic novae, such as those in M31, designations extend the Milky Way convention with the host galaxy prefix (e.g., Nova M31 2011-10a), but IAU oversight remains through CBAT for confirmation and cataloging.^[106] This structured approach balances the urgency of transient reporting with long-term archival stability, with the IAU Commission on Nomenclature of Celestial Objects approving exceptions only for historically significant objects.

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A few black holes are catalogued by their constellation and the order in which they were discovered; Cygnus X-1 was the first X-ray object discovered in Cygnus, ...
[47]
magnetars', soft gamma repeaters - Home Page of Robert Duncan
The physical nature of these stars was a mystery for many years. In 1992, it was proposed that SGRs are magnetically-powered neutron stars, or magnetars.<|control11|><|separator|>
[48]
The Constellations - International Astronomical Union
At its first General Assembly held in Rome in 1922, the IAU's Commission on Notations and Units agreed on a list of 88 constellations covering the entire sky, ...
[49]
Greek Constellations
Greek constellations are the 48 ancient constellations listed by the Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy in his Almagest in the 2nd century CE.
[50]
Constellation Names and Abbreviations - Sky & Telescope
The ancient constellation Argo Navis was split into Carina, Puppis, Pyxis, and Vela in the 18th century. In 1932 the IAU officially changed this constellation's ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[51]
What Are Asterisms? - NASA Science
Jul 28, 2021 · In addition to the star patterns within the constellations, there are a variety of other familiar patterns of stars. These are called asterisms.
[52]
Constellation: Ursa Major - NOIRLab
Ursa Major is a large, bright constellation in the northern sky. The Big Dipper is a recognizable asterism contained in Ursa Major.
[53]
Big Dipper: Stars, Facts, Myth, Location - Constellation Guide
Apr 24, 2025 · The Big Dipper is an asterism formed by seven bright stars in the northern circumpolar constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear.
[54]
Sky stories | National Museum of Australia
The Emu in the sky, its position indicates the right time of the year to go looking for emu eggs. For Indigenous people the dark spaces between stars are as ...<|separator|>
[55]
Gugurmin: the Emu in the Sky - Australian Indigenous Astronomy
The constellation is a silhouette traced by the dark spaces in the Milky Way. Indigenous Australians were the first astronomers and have been using the stars as ...
[56]
The Summer Triangle's Hidden Treasures - NASA Science
Aug 15, 2024 · August skies bring the lovely Summer Triangle asterism into prime position after nightfall for observers in the Northern Hemisphere.
[57]
Summer Triangle: Star pattern of the season - EarthSky
Jun 24, 2025 · The Summer Triangle isn't a constellation. It's an asterism, or noticeable pattern of stars. This pattern consists of three bright stars in three separate ...
[58]
Great Square of Pegasus gallops into the autumn sky - EarthSky
Sep 25, 2025 · The Great Square of Pegasus consists of 4 stars of nearly equal brightness: Scheat, Alpheratz, Markab and Algenib. The Great Square is an ...
[59]
Great Square of Pegasus - Constellation Guide
Sep 13, 2017 · The Great Square of Pegasus is an asterism formed by three bright stars in Pegasus constellation – Markab, Scheat and Algenib – and Alpheratz ...
[60]
Constellations and asterisms: what's the difference?
Oct 2, 2024 · Asterisms, on the other hand, are informal but recognisable star patterns, which can be part of one or more constellations.
[61]
How did the planets get their names? - Cool Cosmos
Mercury was named after the Roman god of travel. Venus was named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty. Mars was the Roman god of War.
[62]
Uranus got its name from a very serious authority - Popular Science
Jul 7, 2023 · A year later, German astronomer Johann Bode suggested the winning name, Uranus, the Latin word for the Greek god Ouranos. He made quite a ...
[63]
175 Years Ago: Astronomers Discover Neptune, the Eighth Planet
Sep 22, 2021 · On the night of Sept. 23-24, 1846, astronomers discovered Neptune, the eighth planet orbiting around the Sun.
[64]
IAU 2006 General Assembly: Result of the IAU Resolution votes
Aug 24, 2006 · The "dwarf planet" Pluto is recognised as an important proto-type of a new class of trans-Neptunian objects. The IAU will set up a process to ...
[65]
Venetia Burney Phair (1918-2009) - NASA Science
In an interview with NASA in January 2006, Phair said she offered the name Pluto over breakfast with her mother and grandfather. It was March 14, 1930, and her ...Venetia, can you tell us about... · Was there any great fanfare...
[66]
IAU names dwarf planet Eris | Press Releases
Sep 14, 2006 · The International Astronomical Union announces the names (136199) Eris for the dwarf planet provisionally named 2003 UB313 and Dysnomia for its ...
[67]
IAU names fifth dwarf planet Haumea | Press Releases
Sep 17, 2008 · The first and largest moon is to be called Hiʻiaka, after the Hawaiian goddess who is said to have been born from the mouth of Haumea and the ...
[68]
What are dwarf planets, and how many are there? - Live Science
Jul 5, 2025 · The IAU has officially recognized only five dwarf planets: Pluto, Haumea, Makemake and Eris in the Kuiper Belt, plus Ceres in the asteroid belt.Missing: conventions | Show results with:conventions
[69]
Planet and Satellite Names, Discoverers - Planetary Names
This page shows information about planetary bodies named by the IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN), and about bodies named by the IAU ...
[70]
Packed Provisional and Permanent Designations
The provisional designation stored on the orbit and observations is stored in a 7-character packed format that saves space and makes sorting easier.
[71]
Planetary Satellite Discovery Circumstances
May 23, 2023 · Planetary Satellite Discovery Circumstances ; XLV, Helike, S/2003 J6 ; XLVI, Carpo, S/2003 J20 ; XLVII, Eukelade, S/2003 J1 ; XLVIII, Cyllene, S/ ...
[72]
Naming of exoplanets - International Astronomical Union | IAU
The first exoplanet tentatively identified around the second brightest star in the triple star system, Alpha Centauri, is called Alpha Centauri Bb. If an ...
[73]
New- And Old-Style Minor Planet Designations
The Minor Planet Center assigns new provisonal designations when it is in possession of at least two nights of observations of an object that cannot be ...
[74]
https://minorplanetcenter.net/mpc/summary
[75]
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Comet_Interceptor/How_are_comets_named
[76]
http://mpcweb1.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/info/CometNamingGuidelines.html
[77]
ESA - How are comets named? - European Space Agency
To make comet names clearer and more consistent, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has developed a coded naming system. In this system, Comet Hale–Bopp ...
[78]
IAU COMET-NAMING GUIDELINES
Comets are to be named for their individual discoverer(s) if at all possible. This means using the last (family) name of the discoverer(s).
[79]
new comet names and new numberings of short-period comets
NEW COMET NAMES AND NEW NUMBERINGS OF SHORT-PERIOD COMETS Further to CBET 5586, the following permanent numbers have been ... (CBET 5591) Daniel W. E. Green.
[80]
Planetary Names
### Summary of Descriptor Terms for Geological Features
[81]
Categories (Themes) for Naming Features on Planets and Satellites
The themes below will be followed for future naming with adherence to the current IAU Rules and Conventions (https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Page/Rules).
[82]
[PDF] STATISTICS FOR IAU-APPROVED PLANETARY NOMENCLATURE ...
Scientists preparing manuscripts for peer-reviewed journal articles or maps may request a planetary feature be named by following the Name Request Instructions.
[83]
How do exoplanets get their names? - NASA Science
Nov 7, 2014 · The lowercase letter "b" stands for the planet, in the order in which the planet was found. The first planet found is always named b, with ensuing planets ...
[84]
2015 Edition - IAU NameExoWorlds
In 2015 the IAU organised the first NameExoWorlds Competition, where the public provided names to 19 “ExoWorlds” (14 stars and 31 exoplanets orbiting them).
[85]
IAU NameExoWorlds
The Name ExoWorlds project offers the opportunity to people from all over the world to suggest a name for one exoplanet and its host star.Missing: astronomical | Show results with:astronomical
[86]
Hubble finds compelling evidence for a moon outside the Solar ...
Oct 3, 2018 · The candidate moon, with the designation Kepler-1625b-i, is unusual because of its large size; it is comparable in diameter to the planet ...Missing: convention | Show results with:convention
[87]
Evidence for a large exomoon orbiting Kepler-1625b - Science
Oct 3, 2018 · We present new observations of a candidate exomoon associated with Kepler-1625b using the Hubble Space Telescope to validate or refute the moon's presence.Missing: convention | Show results with:convention
[88]
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - International Astronomical Union
Can I suggest a name for a planetary feature? A: This page from the IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN) describes the process: https ...
[89]
None
Nothing is retrieved...<|control11|><|separator|>
[90]
Messier Catalogue | RASC - Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
The Messier Catalogue was developed in the 1700s by Charles Messier (1730–1817). Messier was a comet hunter working with speculum metal reflectors and small ...<|separator|>
[91]
Hubble's Messier Catalog - NASA Science
Hubble's Messier Catalog showcases the Hubble's spectacular images of these iconic objects first cataloged by Charles Messier in the 18th century.Messier 7 · Messier 17 · Messier 104 · Messier 4
[92]
What do NGC numbers mean? - Astronomy Magazine
Sep 3, 2024 · John Louis Emil Dreyer compiled the New General Catalogue (NGC) in 1888, aiming to organize existing astronomical catalogs, which initially ...
[93]
https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/educators/galaxies/imagine/naming.html
[94]
How Galaxies Get Their Names - Imagine the Universe! - NASA
May 7, 2015 · Some galaxies are given descriptive names (e.g. "Andromeda", "Whirlpool") if they are particularly distinctive in location or appearance. But ...
[95]
UGC - Uppsala General Catalog of Galaxies - HEASARC
The UGC galaxy designation based on the catalog number. The galaxies are numbered in order of their 1950.0 right ascension values. RA The Right Ascension of the ...
[96]
Sloan Digital Sky Survey Photometric Catalog (DR4) (SDSS DR4)
The official SDSS designation for an object is. SDSS JHHMMSS.ss+DDMMSS.s where the coordinates are truncated, not rounded. This format ... GALAXY, 3, Galaxy: An ...
[97]
Part 1: Key Results from the DESI DR2 - Astrobites
Oct 6, 2025 · Each color indicates a different redshift bin, and the initials represent different object types (BGS=bright galaxy survey, LRG=luminous red ...
[98]
Schneider et al., SDSS Quasar Catalog. II. - IOP Science
The DR1 object designation, given by the format SDSS Jhhmmss.ss+ddmmss.s; only the final 18 characters (i.e., the "SDSS J" for each entry is dropped) ...<|separator|>
[99]
Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
The CBAT is responsible for the dissemination of information on transient astronomical events and various IAU news.Missing: naming | Show results with:naming
[100]
supernova designator
Supernova designators for confirmed supernovae have an IAU standard: the prefix SN followed by a year its electromagnetic radiation reached Earth.
[101]
S Andromedae: Supernova 1885 in M31 - SEDS Messier Database
Sep 7, 2015 · The first supernova discovered beyond our Milky Way galaxy, on August 20, 1885, by Ernst Hartwig (1851-1923) at Dorpat Observatory in Estonia.
[102]
Sky survey classifies more than 10000 supernovae
Dec 4, 2024 · Sky survey classifies more than 10,000 supernovae ... With contributions from Northwestern University astrophysicists, the Zwicky Transient ...
[103]
ZTF counts more than 10,000 supernovae - Zwicky Transient Facility
Dec 4, 2024 · ZTF has the largest census of supernovae, detecting hundreds per night, with the Transient Name Server holding about 16,000 records.
[104]
ASAS-SN's Homepage - OSU astronomy
We changed that with our "All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae" (ASAS-SN) project, which is now automatically surveying the entire visible sky every night ...Missing: designations | Show results with:designations
[105]
Division D WG Supernovae — Functional
The new Transient Name server has now been set up and replaced the previous manual name assignment system, while maintaining the same high standards of fidelity ...
[106]
CBAT List of Novae in the Milky Way
Below is the working list of Milky Way novae as used by the CBAT. The columns are as follows: (1) official IAU variable-star designation in columns 1-9.
[107]
Naming Variables - aavso
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) appoints a committee that determines the names given to variable stars.
[108]
https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/W3Browse/all/gcvs.html