Bhutan gets an opportunity to come up with a name for an exoplanet and its host star. Planets that are located outside the solar system are called exoplanet. The naming is a part of celebrations to mark 100th anniversary of International Astronomical Union (IAU), the authority responsible for assigning official designations and names to celestial bodies.
Bhutanese names will be given to an exoplanet and its host star as a part of a global campaign organised by IAU. The campaign ‘NameExoWorlds’ is a global project and Bhutan, as being part of it, has developed a national committee to collect suggestion of names from Bhutanese people.
About forty pairs of names came in from which eight pairs of names have been shortlisted for an exoplanet and a star. The collected names are placed for public voting which will be closed on 25th November. Individuals can vote for their favourite names at dit.gov.bt
The best pair of names along with two pairs of back up names, for each planet and the star, will be sent to the IAU for the final decision.
“This is a unique opportunity for Bhutan to name a star and an exoplanet, which is outside the solar system, in our language so that we will create history for Bhutan. Not only do we have this unique opportunity to name a star and exoplanet, but this will also create hidden interest in our youth to take up space sciences and astronomy,” said Sonam Phuntsho, the Chief ICT Officer for Division of Telecom and Space at the Information and Communication Ministry.
According to IAU, thousands of exoplanets have been discovered orbiting other stars over the past three decades. And, Bhutan has been assigned the sun-like star and exoplanet, the star with the code name HD 73534 and the planet with the code name HD 73534 b.
One hundred sixteen countries including Bhutan is participating in naming an exoplanet and its host star.
Pema Seldon Tshering
