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Universe sandbox download11/14/2023 ![]() ![]() P/2005 S2 is a periodic comet discovered in 2005 that was the second comet discovered in the first half of October. Comets are named based on the type of comet (P for periodic, C for not-periodic), the year they were discovered, a letter for the half of the month they were discovered in (for example B for the second half of January), and then another number indicating the order of discovery.Spock (which you can find in Universe Sandbox) is 2309. If not named, minor planets are given only a sequential identification number. Minor planets can be named by the person who discovered them after a formal review.Dwarf planets beyond the orbit of Neptune are named after a deity or figure related to creation myths (like Makemake).Objects outside the Solar System are named using an acronym, which refers to the catalog name (such as “HIP” for the Hipparcos Catalog), followed by an identification number.Instead, astronomers follow a set of rules set by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), including Nowadays, humanity has observed billions of astronomical objects, and it would be very inconvenient to give them all individual names. Many familiar star names come from Arabic, including Betelgeuse, whose Arabic name (which was most likely Yad al-Jauzāʾ and translates to “the hand of al-Jauzā’”) references its position in the constellation Orion. Why do some astronomical objects have multiple names? Thousands of years ago, there were no rules for how to name them, and different cultures had different names for stars. But have you heard of the star HR 2061? What about HIP 27989? You may not have heard of them, but they’re just different names for Betelgeuse! In the constellation Orion, Betelgeuse is roughly where Orion’s hand would be. It’s the second brightest star in the constellation Orion and made headlines in 2019 when it dimmed very quickly (don’t worry, it’s back to normal now). You’ve probably heard of the star Betelgeuse. Stars have different naming formats, from Altair to HR 4623, as shown in the Nearest 400 Stars simulation in Universe Sandbox. ![]()
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