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2022 Global naming competition of ExoWorlds

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Naming Rules

If you are curious about the normal naming process for celestial bodies, please check out the IAU webpage dedicated exclusively to this topic. The following rules apply specifically to the NameExoWorlds 2022 edition:

1. The proposed names should be of things, or places of long-standing cultural, historical, or geographical significance, worthy of being assigned to a celestial object.

2. The names may be drawn from themes related to the sky and astronomy, or related in some way to the constellation or a cultural asterism in which the exoplanetary system lies, or related to the properties of the exoplanet and its star themselves.

3. Two (2) names should be proposed - one (1) for the exoplanet and one (1) for the star it orbits.

4. Speakers of Indigenous languages are encouraged to propose names drawn from those languages.

5. The proposed pairs of names - for the exoplanet & its star - must follow a common naming theme. The naming theme describing how the names are related in some logical way should be summarized in a sentence or two and be broad enough that additional names related to the theme could be used to name additional objects in that system in the future.

6. Proposers are encouraged to make a presentation in their own languages (video of a maximum of 3 minutes), accompanied by a written description in English (one A4 page, Arial, 10, double spacing with a maximum of 300 words).

7. Proposed names should be provided in the Latin alphabet, and have an initial capitalized letter (following IAU Style Manual).

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Excluded name

8. The following types of proposed names are to be excluded for this naming campaign:

8.1 Names of real people, living or dead, or things or places named wholly or partly for people.

8.2 Names already used (or rather "in use") for specific celestial objects (adopted by the IAU or not) in a given language. A list of IAU names of celestial objects is maintained at this link.

8.3 Contrived (new, invented) names and portmanteaus. Exception: Multi-word names may be combined in some cases (e.g., "Lionrock" was adopted for HD 212771 in NameExoWorlds 2019, named for the "Lion Rock" in Hong Kong).

8.4 Names that are principally known as trademarks or protected by intellectual property claims, or are purely or principally commercial in nature

8.5 Names of things principally known for political, military or religious activities are excluded. For example nations, states, battles, places of worship, etc.

8.6 Names that include numbers or punctuation marks (unless culturally appropriate).

8.7 Names of organisations related to the selection.

8.8 Names of pet animals.

8.9 Acronyms.

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Recognisation by the IAU

9. The selected public names will not replace the scientific alphanumeric designations.

10. The proposed names will be published as such, along with due credit to those that proposed them.

11. This public name may be used internationally along with, or instead of, the scientific designation, permanently and without restrictions.