In case of a serious doubt, please contact IAU NOC India -
Some rules and details of the contest
(click headings below to show some salient points. These are not a complete list.
You must also read the Detailed Rules by the IAU before submitting.)
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Who is eligible to participate?
The competition is open to all people in the world in the form of teams composed of some combination of teachers and students, astronomy enthusiasts, amateur astronomers or professional astronomers. Each team is allowed to submit one proposal to name an exoworld (exoplanet+host star) by using this form.
What is to be kept in mind when submitting names?
- Names suggested can be in any Indian language including English.
- Name suggestions must be accompanied by a justification of 300 words, preferably in English (given the international nature of the event). Proposers are encouraged to make a presentation in their own languages (video of a maximum of 3 minutes).
- The participant teams must compulsorily organise an outreach event (possibly exoplanets related) and submit it's details as well.
- Submission will only be accepted via this form.
- Accurate contact information is necessary as the team’s identity will be confirmed if the entry is shortlisted.
- The team’s participants and details should be mentioned correctly to avoid disqualification.
What kind of names can or cannot be suggested?
The proposed pairs of names - for the exoplanet & its star may be:
- One word if possible
- Pronounceable and not offensive to anyone (in any language)
- Of things, or places of long-standing cultural, historical, or geographical significance, worthy of being assigned to a celestial object.
- Follow a logical naming theme (eg. a local river and its source). Not necessarily, but they may be drawn from themes related to the sky and astronomy.
- Not be too similar to the existing name of an astronomical object.
Names already given to astronomical objects can be checked here (for galactic and extragalactic names) or in the MPC database (for asteroid and satellite names). Details of the IAU naming process can be found here.
- Not be too similar to the existing name of an astronomical object.
In addition, do NOT suggest:
- Names of real people, living or dead
- Names that are newly "invented" by the team
- Names of things or places primarily known for political, military or religious activities
- Names of a purely or mainly commercial nature or subject to copyrights as may be the case with names created in fiction such as books, games, movies, etc.
How will the selection process work?
- The process is being overseen by the IAU's Executive Committee Working Group on Exoplanetary Systems Nomenclature and the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach. All entries must be submitted to them by using this form.
- The primary shortlisting of name proposals for each country will be done by the IAU.
- A list will be shared with a National Vetting Committee of experts (NVC) for each country. The members for Inida are listed below.
- One best and two backup suggestion will be sent as Indian nominations to the International Astronomical Union by the NVC.
- The sole and final authority of any decision rests with the NVC and it will not be contested in any manner.
What is the planned timeline of NameExoWorlds 2022 contest?
| Opening of competition by IAU |
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| Closing of entry submission |
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| Shortlisted names submitted to IAU after National Vetting Process |
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| IAU Voting and Selection of the Names ends |
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| Public Announcement of final selections by IAU |
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| National level outreach continues ... |
Who are part of the National Committee?
- Samir Dhurde
Convenor, IAU National Outreach Coordinator
(Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune) - Dibyendu Nandi
Astronomer / Chair, ASI Public Outreach and Education Committee
(Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata) - Harvinder Kaur Jassal
Astronomer
(IISER, Mohali) - Manzoor Malik
Astronomer
(University of Kashmir, Srinagar) - Niruj Mohan Ramanujam
Astronomer
(Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru) - Sarita Vig
Astronomer
(Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram)
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The original submissions will not go through the National Vetting Committee, nor will any member of the NVC be a part of any team submitting a name proposal. The distinguished committee will fairly consider all relevant aspects and decide based on the rules. At the end of the contest, its decision will be final. The selected names being assigned to the exoplanet system are subject to the final approval of International Astronomical Union (IAU).
NameExoWorlds 2022:
The Planetary Systems
Click this link to go to WikiSky , where you can locate these systems.
An exoplanet discovery has won a Nobel Prize!
What is an Exoplanet?
Our solar system has eight planets and many other bodies revolving around the Sun. Such systems exist around other stars too. Astronomers call planets that orbit around other stars extrasolar planets or "exoplanets".
How do we discover Exoplanets?
Exoplanets are very difficult to find around their parent stars. They are hidden by the bright glare of the stars they orbit. They do not have light of their own and may not reflect enough light to be detected. Towards the end of the twentieth century, observations through space and other telescopes, along with smart usage of image processing opened the way to discovery of exoplanets.
Astronomers use different methods to detect and study these distant bodies. Exoplanets are predominantly detected by the dip in the light of their star which they eclipse, or by looking at the small wobble of the host star due to the exoplanet. A few have been found by direct imaging. Future large telescopes such as the Thirty Meter Telescope etc., with advanced technologies like adaptive optics, should be able to discover many more such worlds directly.