Stars named after people

Over the past few centuries, a small number of stars have been named after individual people. It is common in astronomy for objects to be given names, in accordance with accepted astronomical naming conventions. Most stars have not been given proper names, relying instead on alphanumeric designations in star catalogues. However, a few hundred had either long-standing traditional names (usually from the Arabic) or historic names from frequent usage.

In addition, many stars have catalogue designations that contain the name of their compiler or discoverer. This includes Gliese, Wolf, Ross, Bradley, Piazzi, Lacaille, Struve, Groombridge, Lalande, Krueger, Mayer, Weisse, Gould, Luyten and others. For example, Wolf 359 was discovered and catalogued by Max Wolf.

Various private organizations claim to name stars in honor of people in exchange for a fee, but these names are used only within their own publications, and are not recognized by the scientific community.

Names approved by the IAU edit

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is widely recognized by scientists and governments as the world authority for names of astronomical bodies, and lays down strict standards for this naming.

In July 2014 the IAU launched NameExoWorlds, a process for giving proper names to exoplanets and their host stars,[1] the outcome of which was announced in December 2015.[2] As a result, the IAU approved two star names after individuals:[3]

In 2016, the IAU organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN)[4] which will catalog cultural and historical names for bright stars to help preserve astronomical world heritage, and maintain a catalog of IAU-approved unique proper names for stars. The WGSN's first bulletin of July 2016[5] set out its terms of reference and naming guidelines. All approved names are included on the current List of IAU-approved Star Names, last updated on 1 June 2018.[6] The WGSN rules generally discouraged the naming of stars after people, but confirmed the names Cervantes and Copernicus as well as four others:

In 2019, the IAU held a second NameExoWorlds campaign to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the IAU's founding.

Names not approved by the IAU edit

Apart from the few formally approved by the IAU, and leaving aside commercial attempts, stars named after individuals fall broadly into two groups. The first group are those named openly for an individual connected with them in some way. The second, somewhat more obscurely, are those named after an individual but without explicitly making this clear.

Openly named stars edit

There is a growing number of stars whose common names honour individuals. Many of these were highly significant in some way when discovered, usually through having some unusual characteristic. The best source to get these names is Sky Catalogue 2000.0, Volume 2 (Double Stars, Variable Stars, and Nonstellar Objects), in the chapter Glossary Of Selected Astronomical Names.

(Note that Pandora's Star and Ratner's Star are the names of novels, not actual stars.)

Covertly named stars edit

Some stars were given names that were disguised names of individuals, which names subsequently appeared in star catalogues and thus into more general usage.

The earliest noted example was Sualocin and Rotanev, which names have now been approved by the IAU WGSN (see above). More recently, during the Apollo program, it was common for astronauts to be trained in celestial navigation, and to use a list of naked-eye stars which to take bearings. As a practical joke, Gus Grissom gave names to three stars on this list, which were references to the three Apollo 1 crew:

The names stuck, perhaps in memoriam for their deaths in the Apollo 1 fire, and were used through the rest of the program. Unknown to Grissom, these stars already had traditional names; however, those were not generally used, allowing the three new names to make their way into other records. Today, they are generally considered disused—some sources listing them as "traditional".

It is possible, though unlikely, that further traditional names are in fact hidden names such as these, not yet identified; etymologies for many star names are not currently known.

Commercial naming edit

As early as 1979, when the International Star Registry was formed, private companies have attempted to sell the right to unofficially name stars.[72] These companies have no legal standing to assign any star a name, and as such these names are never recognized by the astronomical or scientific communities. The IAU does not recognize this practice, and on its website describes it as "charlatanry".[73]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "NameExoWorlds: An IAU Worldwide Contest to Name Exoplanets and their Host Stars" (Press release). IAU.org. 9 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Final Results of NameExoWorlds Public Vote Released" (Press release). IAU.org. 15 December 2015.
  3. ^ "NameExoWorlds". nameexoworlds.iau.org.
  4. ^ "IAU Working Group on Star Names (WGSN)". Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  5. ^ "Bulletin of the IAU Working Group on Star Names, No. 1" (PDF). Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  6. ^ "Naming Stars". IAU.org. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  7. ^ R.H. Allen, Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning.
  8. ^ Robert Burnham, Jr. Burnham's Celestial Handbook, Volume 1, p. 359.
  9. ^ Ian Ridpath: "Star Tales", Canes Venatici. See also Deborah J. Warner, The Sky Explored: Celestial Cartography 1500–1800.
  10. ^ "Approved names". NameExoworlds. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  11. ^ a b c d e Fernandez, M.; Lortet, M-C.; Spite, F. (June 1983). "The First Dictionary of the Nomenclature of Celestial Objects (solar system excluded)". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 52 (4): 1.1–7.14. Bibcode:1983A&AS...52....1F.
  12. ^ "Our Astronomical Column". Nature. 26 (654): 42. 11 May 1882. Bibcode:1882Natur..26Q..42.. doi:10.1038/026042a0. ISSN 0028-0836. S2CID 4081301.
  13. ^ "A Pulsar Discovery – Moments of Discovery". American Institute of Physics. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  14. ^ Cameron, Robert C.; Perry, Charles (1 March 1961). "Narrow-Band Photometry of Babcock's Magnetic Star HD 215441". The Astronomical Journal. 70: 40. Bibcode:1961AJ.....66R..40C. doi:10.1086/108524. ISSN 0004-6256.
  15. ^ Burnham's Celestial Handbook, an observer's guide to the universe beyond the solar system (Robert Burnham, Jr.), page 311.
  16. ^ Penston, M. V.; Allen, D. A.; Hyland, A. R. (November 1971). "The Nature of Becklin's Star". The Astrophysical Journal. 170: L33. Bibcode:1971ApJ...170L..33P. doi:10.1086/180835. ISSN 0004-637X.
  17. ^ Jaschek, C.; Jaschek, M.; Morgan, W. W.; Slettebak, Arne (1 August 1968). "On the Spectrum of Bidelman's Helium Variable Star HD 125823". The Astrophysical Journal. 153: L87. Bibcode:1968ApJ...153L..87J. doi:10.1086/180227. ISSN 0004-637X.
  18. ^ Heard, John Frederick (31 May 1962). "The spectroscopic orbit of Bidelman's peculiar star H.D. 30353". Publications of the David Dunlap Observatory. 2 (9): 269–277. Bibcode:1962PDDO....2..269H.
  19. ^ Turner, D. G.; Lyons, R. W. (1 February 1980). "Recent observations of HD 127617 – Bidelman's high-latitude Be star". Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. 74: 12–16. Bibcode:1980JRASC..74...12T. ISSN 0035-872X.
  20. ^ Sky Catalogue 2000.0, Volume II: Double Stars, Variable Stars and Nonstellar Objects. Page xlv, Glossary of Selected Astronomical Names, Bond's Flare Star
  21. ^ Deep-Sky Name Index 2000.0, Hugh C. Maddocks (Foxon-Maddocks Associates).
  22. ^ "British Astronomical Association Circular No. 615" (PDF). British Astronomical Association. 4 March 1981. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  23. ^ Mathys, G.; Lanz, T. (March 1992). "Ap stars with resolved magnetically split lines". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 256: 169–184. Bibcode:1992A&A...256..169M.
  24. ^ Andrews, A. D.; Butler, C. J.; Eksteen, J. P. (26 September 1966). "Further Flare Activity in Butler's Star in the SMC". Information Bulletin on Variable Stars. Konkoly Observatory. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  25. ^ "A smouldering star". ESA Hubble. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  26. ^ a b Dibai, É. A.; Esipov, V. F.; Pronik, V. I. (1 April 1967). "Spectra of the Chavira and Rosino Supernovae". Soviet Astronomy. 10: 728. Bibcode:1967SvA....10..728D. ISSN 0038-5301.
  27. ^ a b Borzov, G. G.; Dibai, É. A.; Esipov, V. F.; Pronik, V. I. (1 December 1969). "Observations of Chuadze's and Wild's Supernovae". Soviet Astronomy. 13: 423. Bibcode:1969SvA....13..423B. ISSN 0038-5301.
  28. ^ Sky Catalogue 2000.0, Volume 2, page xlvi, Glossary of Selected Astronomical Names
  29. ^ Kodaira, K.; Lye, M.; Watanabe, M.; Hamabe, M.; Okamura, S. (1979). "Note: Chu's Object in Perseus". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. 31: 417–422. Bibcode:1979PASJ...31..417K. ISSN 0004-6264.
  30. ^ Bohm, K. H.; Bohm-Vitense, E. (December 1982). "Ultraviolet radiation from the environment of the Cohen-Schwartz star". The Astrophysical Journal. 263: L35–L38. Bibcode:1982ApJ...263L..35B. doi:10.1086/183918. ISSN 0004-637X.
  31. ^ Sky and Telescope, 53, February 1977, page 107
  32. ^ Jones, D. (2002). Is Fehrenbach's Star Unique?. Omega Centauri, A Unique Window into Astrophysics. Omega Centauri. Vol. 265. p. 227. Bibcode:2002ASPC..265..227J.
  33. ^ Sky and Telescope 1/2005, page 101
  34. ^ Barnard, E. E. (1921). "Hind's New Star of 1848 (Nova Ophiuchi No. 2)". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 81: 167. Bibcode:1921MNRAS..81..167B. doi:10.1093/mnras/81.3.167. ISSN 0035-8711.
  35. ^ Sky Catalogue 2000.0, page xlvii; Glossary of Selected Astronomical Names
  36. ^ Berthold, Thomas (March 1981). "Remarks on 6 Variable Stars". Information Bulletin on Variable Stars. 1942: 1. Bibcode:1981IBVS.1942....1B. ISSN 0374-0676.
  37. ^ Matsumoto, Katsura; Nogami, Daisaku; Kato, Taichi; Baba, Hajime (August 1998). ""Huruhata's Variable" Revealed: The WZ Sge-Type Dwarf Nova EG CANCRI". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. 50 (4): 405–409. Bibcode:1998PASJ...50..405M. doi:10.1093/pasj/50.4.405. ISSN 0004-6264.
  38. ^ William R. Corliss: Mysterious Universe, a handbook of astronomical anomalies (The Sourcebook Project, 1979), page 500
  39. ^ Nature, 14:291-292, 1876
  40. ^ "Innes\' star". simbad.u-strasbg.fr.
  41. ^ "Kapteyn b and c: Two Exoplanets Found Orbiting Kapteyn's Star". Sci-News. Archived from the original on 3 August 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  42. ^ Briscoe, Luke (3 June 2015). "A star is named: Eddie Mabo honoured in star dedication". NITV. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  43. ^ Briscoe, Luke (3 June 2015). "Eddie Mabo: It was written in the stars". NITV. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  44. ^ "Library Guides: Eddie Koiki Mabo Timeline: 2015". Library Guides at James Cook University. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  45. ^ a b "Publications of the Variable Star Section No. 20" (PDF). Variable Stars South. Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand. 20 November 1995.
  46. ^ Sky & Telescope, February 1968, page 97
  47. ^ Johnson, John (2016). How do you find an Exoplanet?. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-691-15681-1.
  48. ^ van Genderen, A. M. (December 1975). "Photometry of the Be star Wray 795 and some other stars in the Cen X-3 area". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 45: 425–427. Bibcode:1975A&A....45..425V.
  49. ^ Burnham's Celestial Handbook, page 641
  50. ^ Johnson, M. (June 1953). "Luyten's flare star and its limited affinities with solar, T Tauri and SS Cygni eruptions". The Observatory. 73: 109–112. Bibcode:1953Obs....73..109J. ISSN 0029-7704.
  51. ^ Duerbeck, H. W.; Reipurth, B. (May 1990). "We 21 : A WN 8 star in a planetary nebula". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 231: L11–L14. Bibcode:1990A&A...231L..11D. ISSN 0004-6361.
  52. ^ Sky Catalogue 2000.0 (page xlviii, Glossary of Selected Astronomical Names)
  53. ^ Schoeneich, W.; Zelwanowa, E. I. (1985). "Der Lichtwechsel des Ap-Sterns HD 221568 (Osawas Stern) in zehn Spektralbereichen". Astronomische Nachrichten. 306 (4): 189–192. Bibcode:1985AN....306..189S. doi:10.1002/asna.2113060404. ISSN 0004-6337.
  54. ^ Burnham's Celestial Handbook, page 503
  55. ^ Reipurth, Bo; Aspin, Colin; Beck, Tracy; Brogan, Crystal; Connelley, Michael S.; Herbig, G. H. (March 2007). "V733 Cep (Persson's Star): A New FU Orionis Object in Cepheus". The Astronomical Journal. 133 (3): 1000–1011. Bibcode:2007AJ....133.1000R. doi:10.1086/510617. ISSN 0004-6256. S2CID 119546712.
  56. ^ Schoenberner, D.; Wolf, R. E. A. (December 1974). "Fine analysis of Popper's star HD 124448". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 37: 87–96. Bibcode:1974A&A....37...87S.
  57. ^ Goranskij, V. P. (1972). "Observations of the supernova SVS 1854 and Roberts-Altizer's variable in the vicinity of NGC 3147". Astronomicheskij Tsirkulyar. 723: 6–8. Bibcode:1972ATsir.723....6G.
  58. ^ Wenzel, W. (June 1965). "Object Rosino-Zwicky Near M88". Information Bulletin on Variable Stars. 99: 1. Bibcode:1965IBVS...99....1W. ISSN 0374-0676.
  59. ^ Heo, Jeong-Eun; Angeloni, Rodolfo; Mille, Francesco Di; Palma, Tali; Lee, Hee-Won (21 December 2016). "A PROFILE ANALYSIS OF RAMAN-SCATTERED O VI BANDS AT 6825 Å AND 7082 Å IN SANDULEAK'S STAR". The Astrophysical Journal. 833 (2): 286. arXiv:1610.07157. Bibcode:2016ApJ...833..286H. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/833/2/286. ISSN 1538-4357. S2CID 55486008.
  60. ^ Greenstein, J. L.; Dolez, N.; Vauclair, G. (November 1983). "Physical properties and evolution of the two white dwarfs in the Sanduleak-Pesch binary". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 127: 25–28. Bibcode:1983A&A...127...25G.
  61. ^ Sky Catalogue 2000.0, page xlix, Glossary of Selected Astronomical Names
  62. ^ Hager, J. G. (1903). "Discussion of a Questionable Type of Temporary Stars". The Astrophysical Journal. 17: 281–285. Bibcode:1903ApJ....17..281H. doi:10.1086/141026.
  63. ^ Burleigh, M. R.; Heber, U.; O'Donoghue, D.; Barstow, M. A. (10 February 2000). "The Schweizer-Middleditch star revisited". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 356: 585. arXiv:astro-ph/0002236. Bibcode:2000A&A...356..585B.
  64. ^ Vescovi, D.; Busso, M.; Palmerini, S.; Trippella, O.; Cristallo, S.; Piersanti, L.; Chieffi, A.; Limongi, M.; Hoppe, P.; Kratz, K-L. (16 August 2018). "On the Origin of Early Solar System Radioactivities: Problems with the Asymptotic Giant Branch and Massive Star Scenarios". The Astrophysical Journal. 863 (2): 115. arXiv:1807.01058. Bibcode:2018ApJ...863..115V. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aad191. ISSN 1538-4357. S2CID 119220294.
  65. ^ Horne, Keith (December 1980). "Stepanyan's star - A new eclipsing cataclysmic variable". The Astrophysical Journal. 242: L167. Bibcode:1980ApJ...242L.167H. doi:10.1086/183425. ISSN 0004-637X.
  66. ^ Sky and Telescope 6-2005, page 108
  67. ^ Hoffleit, Dorrit (September 1952). "Wachmanns Forgotten Flare Star". Harvard College Observatory Bulletin. 921: 5–6. Bibcode:1952BHarO.921....5H. ISSN 0891-3943.
  68. ^ Shenar, T.; Sablowski, D. P.; Hainich, R.; Todt, H.; Moffat, A. F. J.; Oskinova, L. M.; Ramachandran, V.; Sana, H.; Sander, A. A. C.; Schnurr, O.; St-Louis, N. (2020). "The Wolf-Rayet binaries of the nitrogen sequence in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Spectroscopy, orbital analysis, formation, and evolution". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 627: A151. arXiv:1905.09296. Bibcode:2019A&A...627A.151S. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201935684. ISSN 0004-6361. S2CID 162183986.
  69. ^ Cowley, A. P.; Crampton, D.; Hutchings, J. B.; Remillard, R.; Penfold, J. E. (September 1983). "Discovery of a massive unseen star in LMC X-3". The Astrophysical Journal. 272: 118–122. Bibcode:1983ApJ...272..118C. doi:10.1086/161267. ISSN 0004-637X.
  70. ^ Schulte-Ladbeck, Regina E.; MacConnell, D. Jack; Zarate, Nelson (1988). "The third Galactic carbon symbiotic". Astrophysics and Space Science Library. 145: 295–296. Bibcode:1988ASSL..145..295S. doi:10.1007/978-94-009-2969-2_62.
  71. ^ Menzies, J. W.; Tanzi, E. G.; Tarenghi, M. (March 1981). "Supernova (Evans) in NGC 1316". International Astronomical Union Circular (3589): 1. Bibcode:1981IAUC.3589....1M. ISSN 0081-0304.
  72. ^ Wierzbik, Chris (28 February 1993). "Reaching for the Stars". Chicago Tribune. p. 1. Archived from the original on 25 October 2015.
  73. ^ "Buying Stars and Star Names". IAU. Retrieved 10 September 2015.