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What To Name Planets Around Proxima Centauri?

ProtoJeb21

By ProtoJeb21
in Science & Spaceflight

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Naming Questions  

24 members have voted

  1. 1. Should Proxima b be named "Feronia"?


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Streetwind

Streetwind

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Kryten said:

If you want to be proper, the current name isn't Proxima b, it's Alpha Centauri Cb. Proxima b is already a widely accepted colloquial name, so why not keep using that?

I dunno... I'm pretty sure that Proxima Centauri is currently still being treated as a star of its own, not as a member of a trinary Alpha Centauri system. I mean, I agree that it's really obvious that they are in some form of companion relationship, but the scientific community has yet to succeed in figuring out exactly what kind of relationship that is. It moves so slowly with respect to Alpha Centauri that it may well take centuries of observation before we can even begin to properly describe its orbit (if it has one). And the fact that it has planets of its own makes things more complicated, as it suggests that withing the last >4.5 billion years, it did not once get close enough to the binary pair to have its orbiting bodies significantly disturbed. Proxima might be gravitationally bound despite never interacting with the Alpha Centauri binary in any way (apart from following it through space at a distance).

Right now, Alpha Centauri is officially declared a binary star system that does not include Proxima Centauri until such time as the latter's involvement can be clearly described. Therefore, if we want to be "proper", we have no choice but to call the planet Proxima Centauri b. :P

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Bill Phil

Bill Phil

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, Robotengineer said:

Forgot Harambe memes. 

Like we did with all the celestial bodies in the solar system? 

Just don't let the people at http://nameexoworlds.iau.org name it.

Checkout this proposal for Epsilon Eridani (a perfectly fine name to begin with) and its planet.

"Gejalbis 
Our group has realized it would be a best option to create a random name with no meaning for both the star and the planet, remembering that each and every word in all languages were, in the beginning no more than a random sound to which was used to represent a concept. To give a clearer example, much before becoming the name of the biggest planet of our Solar System, “Jupiter” was only a sound that was used by the first Latins to refer to their god of the storms (and then the planet). By proposing such names, we intend to create a similar effect."

"Stafar31 
Considering there is no known information of how the planet looks like, only artistic conceptions, we can’t name this planet after its appearence (like Neptune, which has been named after the roman sea god because of its bluish color). Therefore, we suggest a name that has no meaning behind it with a random number" 

Alpha Centauri B is a fine name. 

 

9 hours ago, Robotengineer said:

Forgot Harambe memes. 

Like we did with all the celestial bodies in the solar system? 

Just don't let the people at http://nameexoworlds.iau.org name it.

Checkout this proposal for Epsilon Eridani (a perfectly fine name to begin with) and its planet.

"Gejalbis 
Our group has realized it would be a best option to create a random name with no meaning for both the star and the planet, remembering that each and every word in all languages were, in the beginning no more than a random sound to which was used to represent a concept. To give a clearer example, much before becoming the name of the biggest planet of our Solar System, “Jupiter” was only a sound that was used by the first Latins to refer to their god of the storms (and then the planet). By proposing such names, we intend to create a similar effect."

"Stafar31 
Considering there is no known information of how the planet looks like, only artistic conceptions, we can’t name this planet after its appearence (like Neptune, which has been named after the roman sea god because of its bluish color). Therefore, we suggest a name that has no meaning behind it with a random number" 

Alpha Centauri B is a fine name. 

We're much closer to the Solar System than Alpha Centauri. 

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Andem

Andem

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, Just Jim said:

OMG... am I the only Babylon-5 fan in this forum???

It already has a name: Centauri Prime!!!

:sticktongue:

Hmm... How about "Caladan" or "Arrakis", depending on how it looks when we learn more about it?

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DMSP

DMSP

Posted
Posted

Hmm. Don't let the general Public name it (as mentioned before, look at No Man's Sky...).

I say Přátelský Soused ("Friendly Neighbor" in Czech), if it is habitable, or just "Soused" (Neighbor) if it isn't.

I guess we just have to wait until Breakthrough Starshot...

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Robotengineer

Robotengineer

Posted
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On August 25, 2016 at 10:04 PM, UmbralRaptor said:

Proxima Cen b

 

Clever mythological name can wait until we have some actual data on it. (And confirmation that it exists)

 

Er, there's already a star with that name.

Ugh. Thanks for pointing out that typo.

On August 26, 2016 at 7:14 AM, Bill Phil said:

 

We're much closer to the Solar System than Alpha Centauri. 

Well, the ancient romans named the planets without being able to see surface details. I agree we should hold off on naming it until we've seen it. 

On August 25, 2016 at 11:36 PM, legoclone09 said:

I vote to call the planet Haramberniesanders.

The IAU rigged it though. :P 

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