Why are Astronomers So Bad at Naming Things?

With star names like 2MASS J05551028+0724255, it might seem like astronomers are not so great at naming things. But if you know the code, these names can actually help you find the star in the sky.

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[mauntak]

This is all false we all really know they let their lab cats walk over their keyboard when putting in the name.

[carlospomares]

It's less giving them names and more categorizing and positioning them because there's just so many of them.

[denmaroca]

The International Astronomical Union is not only keen to standardise the names of stars; it is also keen to distinguish between names and designations. To the IAU, 'name' refers to the alphabetical term used in everyday speech, while 'designation' is solely alphanumerical, and used in catalogues for professional astronomy. The IAU recognises 'Betelgeuse' as the UNIQUE name for the star. Alpha Orionis, BD +7 1055 together with HR 2061, HD 39801, FK5 224, HIP 27989, etc, etc are all catalogue designations and NOT names.

[NewMessage]

Heck, my uncle has 8 kids, and after introducing 4 or 5 of them, he gets tired and just says "and... that one... this guy over here... that's the oldest in the hat... and, uh... number 8."

And he didn't have to name NEAR as many things as astronomers do.

[andrewwright]

I vaguely recall declination being one of the only terms that gave me trouble when I took an astronomy class in college.

[Erik-pumj]

And one day we might get a designation with distance in it, too, so those two stars that line up almost perfectly get different designations.

[astronomer]

At the @3:10 mark there's a mistake: in a map of the sky where North is up, East isn't yo the right but to the _left_, so the arrow should start on the right side of the map and move left. The map shown actually is marked in the right way, is just the arrow that moves in the opposite direction.

[LeoAngora]

Saying the star's name 3 times in a row causes it to go supernova

[llsilvertail]

Ah yes. John Green. One of the brightest stars.

[ComaDave]

My favourite star is The One Just Up A Bit And To The Left (No, The Other Left) Of That Squiggly Thing That Kind Of Looks Like A Tangled Shoelace Being Untangled By A Three-Legged Mole Rat.
Or as I call it..."Sid".

[criskity]

Finally I know what the + and - mean. I've been searching for the answers for a long time. I suspected it might have to do with declination, but I couldn't find any source.

[jokervynehahaha]

Even SciShow Space gets them confused, HANK is the Science one.

[LawTaranis]

I like how they used John's name rather than Hank's for the episode.

[lapsed]

I can't tell if "Indiana 9002" was a dig at how old John is or how few people there are at Indiana. But I'm here for both

[Hi_Im_Akward]

"Seriously there's math in that name" 🤣

[ddpwe]

Seeing we're constantly moving in space, how long will these naming schemes work for? Or is that so far in the future, it doesn't matter to worry about it yet?

[meandyouagainstthealgorith]

I will never complain because, as a Soil Scientist, I know their names are better than Oxyaquic Ustifluvents.

[lavinleitrim]

2:26 is that Sligo Ireland? That ruined abbey looks so familiar...

[StYxXx]

There are so many stars, you can't give everyone a nice name. Most just have a catalogue ID. Same with planets, nebulas and galaxies.

[AceSpadeThePikachu]

Maybe some astronomers are just being extra careful not to accidentally summon "The Ghost with The Most."

Though I do hope in the near future when space telescopes start finding really interesting star systems with really interesting planets they'll be given more "fun" names so school kids and the media will take interest in them.