An opportunity to christen a new planetary system in Greece
Students from 26 Greek schools propose names for 20 exoplanets-“targets” of the James Webb space telescope. The final morning selection will take place on Sunday at an event in Piraeus.
Have you wondered what it would be like to name one of the newly discovered exoplanets to be observed by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
Students from 26 Greek schools thought about it and responded to the invitation of the International Astronomical Union to “baptize” one of the first 20 exoplanets-“targets” of the James Webb space telescope.
In fact, each school group consisting of male and female students, teachers and scientists, two names, one for the exoplanet and one for its parent star, thus naming the entire star system.
The first exoplanets (planets, stars, galaxies, asteroids, nebulae, etc.) were discovered only three decades ago and since then more than 5000 have been identified. Most of them are only mentioned in scientific terms, they have nothing to do with the stories and our cultures and until 2015 they were named exclusively by the scientific community.
In 2015, the International Astronomical Union (of which Greece was one of the first five founding members), recognizing the public’s interest in astronomy at an international level, organized the first international naming competition “NameExoWorlds 2015”, offering the opportunity to the great global community of amateur astronomers and in general the friends of Space to participate. That contest resulted in 19 names (14 for stars and 31 for exoplanets orbiting them), with over half a million votes from 182 countries and territories.
In 2019, as part of the centenary celebrations of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the international competition “NameExoWorlds” was repeated, offering each country the opportunity to name a planetary system, which includes an exoplanet and its host star. As part of this competition, 112 countries organized national campaigns involving the direct participation of more than 780,000 people worldwide.
This year the International Astronomical Union repeated the open competition ‘NameExoWorlds 2022 which is a collaboration between the Working Group of the Executive Committee on Nomenclature of Exoplanetary Systems and the IAU Office of Astronomy.
Three names will be chosen by vote
Thus, on Sunday, December 4, at 10:00 in the morning at the Ionideo School in Piraeus, three names will be chosen by vote, which will be forwarded to the International Astronomical Union. The final decision on the naming of each exoplanet through the submitted proposals received by a committee of the International Astronomical Union in which the researchers who discovered the exoplanet in question will also participate.
In the event, which is under the auspices of the Municipality of Piraeus, Planetary Geologist at the Hellenic Space Center and collaborator of NASA and ESA, Dr. Anezina Solomonidou, Emeritus Professor of Astrophysics EKPA Panagiotis Niarchos, the Founder and CEO of OLYMPIASPACE, Dr. Olympia Kyriopoulos, and European Astronaut Mission Physician Adrianos Golemis.
Throughout the event, there will be interaction with the public while there will also be set up … space corners where children can learn more about Earth observation, sky pictures and space robotics!
The event is open to all who are interested. Anyone who wants to know which name will be chosen can watch it after registering for free here: https://forms.gle/EFYTziymaaMxwVkR7
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