Buy you a star？ Is the naming right of asteroids true？
Produced by: Popular Science China
Production: Su Zian
Producer: computer network information center
Recently, a shopping website pushed me a link-star naming right certificate. Curious, I clicked on this link and found that it was a website selling the naming rights of asteroids.
Simply put, you can buy a star here and give it a name.This star will be saved in a database and can be queried in their APP.
Kant once said, "The more I think about it, the more amazing I feel, and the more awe I have in my heart. That is the starry sky above me and the moral code in my heart."
Imagine that there is a star whose name is related to you and exists only for you. This is really a very romantic thing. Coincidentally, many fans have bought the naming rights of asteroids for their idol.
But in fact, all the naming rights of stars that can be bought in the market are not true, just an entertaining business behavior.
Want to stop being subjected to a similar "romantic tax" in bonus hunter?
First of all, we must find out who the naming rights of the stars belong to.
How on earth are the stars named?
The stars we are talking about are actually celestial bodies in the universe, and different celestial bodies have different naming methods.
Let’s start with the brightest star. Because there are too many stars, the academic circles are too lazy to give them names, so basically no one will buy the naming rights of stars.
At present, the western naming method is to name the stars in the constellation according to their brightness, which was put forward by German (amateur) astronomer Bayer.The name of each star is represented by the name of the constellation plus a Greek letter. For example, Orion α Orion α (Betelgeuse) refers to the brightest star in Orion.
And so on. If the number of stars in a constellation exceeds 24 Greek letters, lowercase letters (a, b, c …) will continue to be used, but uppercase letters (A,B,C …) will not be enough.
Look, how straightforward and simple.
In ancient times, China was named after legends or the location of the stars..
For example, Vega, Altair, Celestial Guanxing, Beiluoshimen and so on.
This system is not very rigorous, because HeErBaSu does not contain all the stars in the current all-sky constellation.But there is too much cultural beauty behind these names. Aren’t those legends as beautiful as the starry sky?
Image source: provided by the authorExcluding stars, only asteroids and comets can be named. I’m sorry,Comets are named after the discoverer.This road is gone again.
At present, only asteroids among all kinds of celestial bodies can be nominated according to the wishes of the discoverers and approved by the International Astronomical Union, thus gaining international recognition.
However, naming asteroids is a serious matter, and it is necessary to ensure the uniqueness of naming. Once it is determined to be permanent and unchangeable, it also makes it a world-recognized honor to be named asteroids.
Image source: provided by the authorCan I buy the naming rights of asteroids?
At present, the name of an asteroid consists of two parts: the first part is a permanent number and the second part is a name.
The International Nomination Committee for Asteroids generally names asteroids according to the proposal of the discoverer, so the naming right of asteroids belongs to the discoverer.
In that case, can I buy the naming right?
The answer is, no.
It is estimated that there are many people who have this idea, and the International Astronomical Union has made a special explanation. "This Federation is an international scientific organization, and it will definitely not be involved in any commercial transactions of the names of stars and the names of the land on the surface of the planet. If you still want to buy after reading our explanation, those who have taken your money will be very happy. "
What if you want to buy the naming rights of asteroids from the discoverer?
At present, there are unwritten rules:Discovers or institutions may not sell asteroid naming rights.
Moreover, even if the discoverer wants to name the asteroid, it needs to go through a complicated process.
First of all, international organizations must first confirm that this planet has not been discovered. After confirmation, you can get the permanent number of an asteroid. In the next ten years, the discoverer of the asteroid will have the right to apply for a name for the asteroid.
The application process includes: proposing the name to the Committee for Naming Small Celestial Bodies with a brief introduction to explain the name; A working group composed of 15 professional astronomers reviewed the naming; After approval, it will be announced to the world by the International Astronomical Union.
Image source: provided by the authorMoreover, the naming of asteroids needs to follow a series of principles. The updated asteroid naming principles in November 2020 are reproduced as follows:
You can’t name yourself (but two discoverers can cross each other);Cannot exceed 16 characters (including spaces and punctuation marks);It is best to be a word;Spell the speech in some languages;Must not be offensive words;Can’t be too similar to the name of the existing asteroid;Pets are not allowed to use their names as names;Commercial names are not allowed;Names of political, military or religious activities are not allowed (unless the relevant person has been dead for more than 100 years, or the incident occurred a hundred years ago);Can not be a controversial political figure (no matter how long he died);Intellectual property rights must be respected;Must prove that it is an existing name;The name must be freely available to the public.It is worth noting that all asteroid naming information can be found on the website of the Asteroid Center of the International Astronomical Union, and it is clear at a glance whether the naming right is true or not.
Generally speaking, it is:The naming rights of stars that can be bought in the market are not true.
What do the names of asteroids that have been discovered look like?
Compared with western countries, China explored asteroids later, but there are many of them.According to incomplete statistics, at present, there are more than 80 asteroids named after China elements, and the naming methods include:
Named after China place names, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, etc. (34 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China have corresponding asteroids named after administrative regions, such as Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, etc., and only Shanxi Province is still Taiyuan Star);
Named after China myths and legends or major events, such as Nu Wa, Chang ‘e, Ruihua (meaning the lucky star of China, which is also the first asteroid discovered by China), China, China, Tolerance, Shenzhou, Wenling Shuguang, Olympic volunteers, xiuyan jade, Beijing Olympics, Lucy, Potato, Bowen Yili, Wenchuan (in the shape of a love), Zou nationality, and so on.
Image source: provided by the authorNamed after famous ancient figures, such as Zhang Heng, Zu Chongzhi, Confucius, Laozi, Sima Qian, Minggatu, Li Bai, Du Fu, Su Dongpo, Guo Shoujing, etc.
Named after modern scientists, such as Li Siguang, Wu Jianxiong, Yuzhe Zhang, Wang Shouguan, Ye Shuhua, Dai Wensai, Zhou Guangzhao, Ye Peijian and Wu Rukang.
In addition, there are some fans in idolize who use idol’s name to name the discovered asteroids. For example, there is a song in Jay Chou, The Flight Diary of Love, which contains a lyric "Find a star and name it just for you", and the source of this lyric is related to the naming right of asteroids.
Four cross-strait astronomy enthusiasts discovered an asteroid through joint observation. Because they all like Jay Chou very much, they decided to name it Jay Chou Star after discussion.
But such examples are really rare. Except Chow Yun Fat, Brigitte Lin, Ka Kui Wong, Bella, Teresa Teng, Andy Lau, Louis Koo, Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui (all named by one person), only Jay Chou has a real asteroid.
Image source: provided by the authorThe starry sky is free, and this beauty needs no cost, just look up and look up.
There are countless beautiful legends behind this, and there are countless secrets waiting for us to explore. The vast stars are always calling us. A star that costs money is not a good star!
However, we can’t completely call "buying the naming rights of asteroids for our idol" as a gift called IQ tax.
After all, it’s lucky to get someone to give a gift. There is no distinction between high and low gifts. Someone is remembering you attentively. This is the most important thing.
Finally, I wish all the students can receive their favorite gifts!
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