THE INSIDER: Public mock planetary monikers
Nasa’s #7NamesFor7NewPlanets request produces several iterations of [Blanky] Mc[Blank]face, among other whacky suggestions
You’d think Nasa would know better than to use Twitter to ask the public to help name the seven newly discovered exoplanets orbiting Trappist-1, given that this exercise has backfired spectacularly in recent years. Who could forget the "Boaty McBoatface" debacle when the UK asked the public to help it name its new polar research ship? Sure enough, the BBC reports that Nasa’s #7NamesFor7NewPlanets request produced several iterations of [Blanky] Mc[Blank]face, among other whacky suggestions. The more serious ones spanned politics and movies to literature, including a poignant tribute to the seven astronauts who perished in the Challenger disaster in 1986. The names of newly discovered objects are usually decided on by the discoverer(s), in this case Michaël Gillon of the University of Liège in Belgium, but they have also been open to the public in the past. The International Astronomical Union’s guideline on naming etiquette says the names need to be relatively short, preferably one w...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.