Designations and Nomenclature of Celestial Objects

Answers to the Frequently Asked Questions about naming stars can be found here.

Guidelines for assigning scientific working names to celestial objects outside the Solar system are available from the following reference:

• Nomenclature for Celestial Objects in Astronomical Literature

Designation of newly discovered objects in the solar system involves a range of events, from discoveries made by billion-dollar spacecraft to potentially bright comets first caught by keen amateurs with small telescopes or even binoculars. The scientific and public interests and the time scales for useful reactions are quite different in the two cases. Consequently, two IAU Working Groups are responsible for assigning names to solar-system objects:

• The Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature assigns names to newly discovered major planets (if any), satellites to such planets, and surface features (e.g. craters, mountains) on these bodies. The link provided here gives access to lists of existing names of this type, and to material describing the rules for assigning such names.

• The Small Bodies Names Committee deals with the assignment of temporary and permanent names of newly discovered minor planets and comets, acting at the instigation of the IAU Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams when potential discoveries are announced. Again, the link provided here gives access to more information.