Beginning in 2004, I started a hobby of giving extrasolar planet names to the planets outside the solar system. I have recently reopened my PC to find all the names I have designated years ago, and saw some keepers and many flawed names.
Because the International Astronomical Union (IAU) is not giving extrasolar planets "official" names (comparable to the planets of the Solar system), I currently designate names for the fun. I only name planets after mythology, and I only name prototypical or important planets. I am slow in my work, so some planets I have not names may not have been given a name (as of yet).
Summary
A far back as 2004, I began to study about planets outside the Solar system (called extrasolar planets). But because not much was known about them (along with only knowing a few at the time), all extrasolar planets were named after their parent star (e.g. 51 Pegasi b). Some astronomers (or amateurs) desided to give some names to some of the most noted planets. The eariest I could remember was the name "Osiris" given to planet HD 209458 b (possibly the first true extrasolar planet name given).
Planet | Name | Mythology | Root | Connection (in layman's terms) |
---|---|---|---|---|
51 Pegasi b | Bellerophon | Greek | Pegasus, tamer [1] | The first planet discovered around a Solar star. Located in the constellation of Pegasus |
Gliese 581 c | Ymir | Norse | frost-giant [2] | Most Earth-like planet to date. Much larger than Earth. |
HD 209458 b | Osiris | Egyptian | underworld, death [3] | Hellish planet that is in the process of dieing. |
PSR B1620-26 c | Methuselah | Middle Eastern/Biblical | elder, old | Oldest planet discovered (to date). |
Requested planet names
- Note: I have not copyrighted these names and would love to see them be used for planetary nicknames.
Though all the planets don't deserve a name, some do. Some planets are unique or prototypical that they should get a name. But just like how only a few stars have and keep an official name, planets should be treated the same. Only important or prototypical planets should get a name.
Planet | Name | Mythology | Root | Connection (in layman's terms) |
---|---|---|---|---|
16 Cygni Bb | Leda[1] | Greek | swan, love [4] | Best known planet in the Cygnus constellation. |
23 Librae b | Dike | Greek | justice [5] | Planet in Libra (the scales). |
47 Ursae Majoris b | Nanook | Inuit | bear [6] | Best known planet in the constellation of Ursa Major (the great bear). |
47 Ursae Majoris c | Tornarsuk | Inuit | bear, chief [7] | Somewhat important planet, but not as well known as the first one. |
55 Cancri e | Fudo | Japanese | fire [8] | Earth-like object near its sun. |
55 Cancri b | Ryujin | Japanese | sea, dragon [9] | Both planets are interconnected with each other. These two planets are almost like parent and child (for the size and close distance from each other). |
55 Cancri c | Otohime | Japanese | sea, dragon, daughter [10] | Both planets are interconnected with each other. These two planets are almost like parent and child (for the size and close distance from each other). |
55 Cancri f | Izanami | Japanese | creation, death [11] | The planet is both supportive for life (being in the habitable zone), but is very dangerous (being a jovial planet). |
55 Cancri d | Amaterasu | Japanese | sun [12] | Biggest object in the system (after its sun). |
COROT-7 b | Qilin | Chinese | unicorn [13] | Planet in Monoceros (the unicorn). |
Fomalhaut b | Paikea | Maori | fish, monster [14] | The planet is the first (true) planet to be confirmed by an image (it has always been there). |
Epsilon Eridani b | Odin | Norse | king, chief [15] | Closest jovian planet to the Solar system. |
Gliese 436 b | Salacia | Roman | sea [16] | Similar to Neptune in many ways. |
Gliese 581 e | Loki[2] | Norse | trickery [17] | This planet was the first planet found (around a normal star) that has a mass closest to Earth. Yet the planet orbits in a scorching hot orbit. |
Gliese 581 b | Geirrod | Norse | frost-giant [18] | The largest of the planets currently confirmed (in the system). |
Gliese 581 d | Bestla | Norse | mother, frost-giant [19] | One of the likely candidates for an Earth-like planet. |
Gliese 667 Cb | Cerberus | Greek | underworld, guard, hounds [20] | A planet orbiting in a triple stellar system. |
Gliese 777 c | Benu | Egyptian | bird, sun [21] | The closest planet in the system. |
Gliese 777 b | Horus | Egyptian | sky, falcon-headed [22] | The most massive planet in the system. |
Gliese 876 d | Alpan | Roman | underworld, love [23] | A terrestrial planet (goddess of love) orbiting in a hot orbit (underworld). |
Gliese 876 c | Concordia | Roman | harmony, sisters [24] | Two similar sisters who work together. |
Gliese 876 b | Pax | Roman | peace [25] | Two similar sisters who work together. |
HD 149026 b | Hecate | Greek | wisdom [26] | Planet with a relative large core. |
HD 189733 b | Anubis | Egyptian | death, jackal-headed [27] | The planet is quite similar to planet Osiris in both discovery, orbit, and characteristics. Yet the planet is found in the constellation of the Fox. |
HD 28185 b | Eros | Greek | love [28] | Similar to earth in many ways. |
HD 80606 b | Icarus | Greek | escape, sun | Most eccentric planet found to date. Its mean distance is habitable, but flies to the inner reaches of its sun. |
HR 8799 d | Clotho | Greek | fate, sisters [29] | Imaged planets |
HR 8799 c | Lachesis | Greek | fate, sisters [30] | Imaged planets |
HR 8799 b | Atropos | Greek | fate, sisters [31] | Imaged planets |
Iota Horologii b | Cronus[3] | Greek | time [32] | Being the first and only planet discovered in the southern constellation of Horologium (the pendulum clock). |
OGLE-2005-BLG-390L b | Aegir[4] | Norse | sea [33] | First Earth-like planet found. Name coined by Sedna. |
PSR B1257+12 A | Noah | Middle Eastern/Biblical | sailor, messenger [34] | Being the closest planet to the star, I see it a similar to Mercury. |
PSR B1257+12 B | Jehovah | Middle Eastern/Biblical | king [35] | Largest planet in the system. |
PSR B1257+12 C | Yahweh | Middle Eastern/Biblical | king [36] | Second largest planet in the system. |
Upsilon Andromedae b | Alcaeus | Greek | son, Andromeda | One of the first planets found, the second son. |
Upsilon Andromedae c | Sthenelus | Greek | son, Andromeda | The outermost planets, the last two sons. |
Upsilon Andromedae d | Electryon | Greek | son, Andromeda | The outermost planets, the last two sons. |
Notes
- ↑ Names that were coined or proposed by Edasich
- ↑ Names that were coined or proposed by BlueEarth
- ↑ The original name chosen was Chronos. This name was part of W. Lyra's proposition on naming exoplanets, and chose this name out of all my proposals as the name form Iota Horologii b. However, he reworded the planet Cronus.
- ↑ Names that were coined or proposed by Sedna
See also
- (Wikipedia) Extrasolar planet
External links
- "Common Names for Messier Objects". SEDS. Retrieved on 2008-07-25.
- "Remeber my work?" Extrasolar Visions II. Accessed on 2008-07-24.
- "Vega's Exoplanet Names (Info & Index)". Extrasolar Visions. Accessed on 2008-07-18.
- Naming the extrasolar planets