Subject: Oh! Actual exoplanet news.
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Posted on: 2019-11-14 10:18:12 UTC

D'you remember back in 2015 the IAU had a thing where they asked the world to name some exoplanets? That's actually why we have the likes of Hypatia, Poltergeist, and Dagon out there.

Well, it's back! Every country has its own designated planetary system, and (to greater or lesser extent) its own submission/suggestion setup.

For the UK, our system is WASP 13, a sunlike star in Lynx, and its sole planet is a sort of less-dense Jupiter. Naming submissions are closed, but there's a vote coming soon (this month, in theory). The planet was discovered in 2009 by a British team, so that's charming.

Over the pond, the US has HD 17156, a yellow subgiant in Cassiopeia that's in dire need of a new name. Its planet is actually smaller than the UK's, but six times denser (over 3x Jovian mass). It also has an unconfirmed second planet (looks like the claim is based on orbital resonance), so the name could take that into account. Voting is ongoing until, um.... today, in fact, and all except one pair of names is based on something native to the US (the exception is Yellowstone and Old Faithful).

Other countries can be found on the website, so pick out your own and - if still possible - have your say!

hS

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