View source for Astronomy:IAU Working Group on Star Names

{{Short description|IAU group  to catalog and standardize proper names for stars}}
The [[Organization:International Astronomical Union|International Astronomical Union]] (IAU) established a '''Working Group on Star Names''' ('''WGSN''') in May 2016 to catalog and standardize [[Astronomy:List of proper names of stars|proper names for stars]] for the international astronomical community.<ref name="WGSN">{{cite web |url=https://www.iau.org/science/scientific_bodies/working_groups/280/ |title=Division&nbsp;C – WG Star Names |access-date=23 August 2016}}</ref> It operates under Division&nbsp;C – Education, Outreach and Heritage.<ref name="IAUDivC">{{cite web |url=https://www.iau.org/science/scientific_bodies/divisions/C/ |title=Division&nbsp;C – Education, Outreach and Heritage |access-date=23 August 2016}}</ref>

The IAU states<ref name="IAU-LSN">{{cite web |url=https://www.iau.org/public/themes/naming_stars/ |title=Naming Stars |publisher=IAU.org |access-date=16 December 2017}}</ref> that it is keen to make a distinction between the terms [[Astronomy:Stellar designations and names|''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:Astronomy|astronomy]]. (The WGSN notes that transliterated [[Astronomy:Bayer designation|Bayer designation]]s (e.g., [[Astronomy:Tau Ceti|Tau Ceti]]) are considered a special historical case and are treated as designations.<ref name="TriRpt18">{{cite web |url=https://www.iau.org/science/scientific_bodies/working_groups/280/ |title=WG Triennial Report (2015-2018) - Star Names |access-date=2018-07-14}}</ref>)

== Terms of reference ==
The terms of reference for the WGSN<ref name="WGSN1">{{cite web |url=http://www.pas.rochester.edu/~emamajek/WGSN/WGSN_bulletin1.pdf |title=Bulletin of the IAU Working Group on Star Names |number=1 |access-date=11 August 2016}}</ref> for the period 2016–2018 were approved by the IAU Executive Committee at its meeting on 6&nbsp;May 2016.<ref name="WGSNtermsref">{{cite web |url=http://www.pas.rochester.edu/~emamajek/WGSN/termsref.html |title=IAU Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) |access-date=11 August 2016}}</ref> In summary, these are to:
* establish IAU guidelines for the proposal and adoption of names for stars,
* carry out a search of the literature for candidate names,
* adopt new unique names for stars of scientific and historical value,
* assemble and disseminate an official IAU star name catalog.<br/>(The current version is titled "List of IAU-approved Star Names".<ref name="IAU-LSN"/>)

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.

== Naming guidelines ==

The WGSN adopted preliminary guidelines for unique star names.<ref name="WGSN1"/> In summary, these are:
* Names preserving world heritage are strongly encouraged; common and cultural names preferred over new.
* Names should normally be 4–16&nbsp;characters in length; short names preferred over long.
* Names should be pronounceable in some language and be non-offensive.
* Names should not be too similar to an existing name of a star, planet, planetary satellite, or minor planet.
* Names of individuals are prohibited for bright stars (except for rare historical cases).
* Contrived names are discouraged (except for rare historical cases).
* Names of events principally known for political or military activities; of a principally commercial nature; of pet animals and acronyms are prohibited.

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.<ref name="NameExoWorlds">{{cite web |url=http://nameexoworlds.iau.org/ |title=NameExoWorlds |access-date=11 August 2016}}</ref>

=== Multiple stars ===
The WGSN decided to attribute proper names to individual stars rather than entire multiple systems. For example, the name [[Astronomy:Fomalhaut|Fomalhaut]] specifically refers to the bright A&nbsp;component of a 3&nbsp;star system. The informal names often attributed to other components in a physical multiple (e.g., Fomalhaut&nbsp;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 ''[[Astronomy:Washington Double Star Catalog|Washington Double Star Catalog]]''.<ref name="TriRpt18"/> 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.<ref name="WGSN2">{{cite web |url=http://www.pas.rochester.edu/~emamajek/WGSN/WGSN_bulletin2.pdf |title=Bulletin of the IAU Working Group on Star Names |number=2 |access-date=12 October 2016}}</ref>

=== Chinese names ===
General guidelines for Chinese star names were adopted during 2017.<ref name="TriRpt18"/> In summary, these are:
* ''The Chinese Sky During the Han: Constellating Stars and Society'' (Sun & Kistemaker 1997) is considered authoritative with early Chinese name-star identifications and spellings,
* adopting of Chinese [[Astronomy:Asterism|asterism]] names for individual stars should be avoided as it would cause confusion,
* [[Pinyin]] spelling is preferred.

== Program of work ==
The WGSN decided to focus during the rest of 2016 on standardizing common names and spellings for the [[Astronomy:List of brightest stars|brightest few hundred stars]] with published names, and on compiling cultural names, with names for faint stars to be discussed in the future (it regarded 'bright stars' as those with designations in the [[Astronomy:Bright Star Catalogue|Bright Star Catalogue]] and any physical companions; 'faint stars' as any other [[Astronomy:Milky Way|Galactic]] stars, [[Astronomy:Substellar object|substellar object]]s, and [[Astronomy:Compact star|stellar remnants]]).<ref name="WGSN1"/>

The main aim for the next few years is to delve into worldwide astronomical history and culture, looking to determine the best-known stellar appellations to use as the officially recognised names. Beyond this point, once the names of many of the bright stars in the sky have been officially approved and catalogued, the WGSN will turn its focus towards establishing a format and template for the rules, criteria and process by which proposals for stellar names can be accepted from professional astronomers, as well as from the general public.<ref name="IAU-LSN"/>

== Adopted names ==
The WGSN's first bulletin dated July&nbsp;2016<ref name=WGSN1/> included a table of 125&nbsp;stars comprising the first two batches of names approved by the WGSN (on 30&nbsp;June and 20&nbsp;July 2016) together with names of stars (including four traditional star names: [[Astronomy:Epsilon Tauri|Ain]], [[Astronomy:Iota Draconis|Edasich]], [[Astronomy:Gamma Cephei|Errai]], and [[Astronomy:Fomalhaut|Fomalhaut]]) reviewed and adopted by the IAU Executive Committee Working Group on Public Naming of Planets and Planetary Satellites during the 2015 NameExoWorlds campaign<ref>{{cite press release |title=Final results of NameExoWorlds public vote released |publisher=International Astronomical Union |date=15 December 2015 |url=http://www.iau.org/news/pressreleases/detail/iau1514/}}</ref> and recognized by the WGSN.

Further batches of names were approved on 21&nbsp;August, 12&nbsp;September, 5&nbsp;October and 6&nbsp;November 2016. These were listed in a table of 102&nbsp;stars included in the WGSN's second bulletin in November&nbsp;2016.<ref name=WGSN2/> The next additions were done on 1&nbsp;February 2017 (13&nbsp;new star names), 30&nbsp;June 2017 (29), 5&nbsp;September 2017 (41), 19&nbsp;November 2017 (3) and 6&nbsp;June 2018 (17). All 330&nbsp;names are included in the current ''List of IAU-approved Star Names'', last updated on 1&nbsp;June 2018.<ref name=IAU-LSN/>

The first list includes two stars given names of individuals during the NameExoWorlds process: "Cervantes" for the star [[Astronomy:Mu Arae|{{math|μ}}&nbsp;Arae]] (honoring the writer Miguel de&nbsp;Cervantes Saavedra) and "Copernicus" for the star [[Astronomy:55 Cancri|{{nobr|55 Cancri A}}]] (honoring the astronomer [[Biography:Nicolaus Copernicus|Nicolaus Copernicus]]).<ref name=IAUnames>{{cite web |url=http://nameexoworlds.iau.org/names |series=NameExoWorlds |title=The approved names |access-date=2016-08-11 |archive-date=2018-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201043609/http://nameexoworlds.iau.org/names  }}</ref> The WGSN approved the historical name ''Cor Caroli'' (Latin for 'heart of Charles') for the star [[Astronomy:Cor Caroli|{{math|α}}&nbsp;Canum Venaticorum]], so named in honour of King Charles I of England by Sir&nbsp;Charles Scarborough, his physician.<ref>{{cite book |first=R.H. |last=Allen |year=1963 |orig-date=1899 |title=Star Names – Their lore and meaning |edition=reprint |publisher=reprint: Dover Books / original: G.E. Stecher |quote=Originally published as ''Star-Names and Their Meanings''. |url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Topics/astronomy/_Texts/secondary/ALLSTA/home.html |via=penelope.uchicago.edu}}
:A brief on-line biography:
{{cite report |title=R.H. Allen biography |website=modernconstellations.com |url=https://www.modernconstellations.com/Docs/PDF/RHAllen/rhallenbio.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Robert Jr. |last=Burnham |title=Burnham's Celestial Handbook |volume=1 |page=359}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Ian |last=Ridpath |series=Star Tales |title=Canes Venatici |url=http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/canesvenatici.htm}}<br/>''See also'' {{cite book |first=Deborah J. |last=Warner |title=The Sky Explored: Celestial cartography 1500–1800}}</ref> The 1&nbsp;February 2017 update included the approval of the historical name for [[Astronomy:Barnard's Star|Barnard's Star]], named after the American astronomer [[Biography:Edward Emerson Barnard|E.E.&nbsp;Barnard]].

== See also ==
{{div col|colwidth=30}}
* [[Astronomy:Astronomical naming conventions|Astronomical naming conventions]]
* [[Astronomy:List of astronomical societies|List of astronomical societies]]
* [[Astronomy:List of proper names of stars|List of proper names of stars]]
* [[Astronomy:NameExoWorlds|NameExoWorlds]]
* [[Astronomy:Stars named after people|Stars named after people]]
* [[Astronomy:Stellar designations and names|Stellar designations and names]]
{{div col end}}

== References ==
{{reflist|colwidth=25em}}

[[Category:Astronomy organizations]]
[[Category:Astronomical nomenclature]]

{{Sourceattribution|IAU Working Group on Star Names}}