All articles tagged with #international astronomical union
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is overseeing a contest to name Earth's quasi-moon, 2004 GU9, with a requirement that the name be rooted in mythology. Despite humorous suggestions like "Moony McMoonface," the IAU emphasizes cultural significance and mythological connections. The final name options include mythological figures from various cultures, highlighting the complexity and cultural considerations involved in naming celestial objects.
The quasi-moon 2004 GU9, a temporary companion of Earth, is set to receive an official name through a contest organized by Radiolab and the International Astronomical Union. The contest, which received nearly 3,000 submissions from over 90 countries, has narrowed down to seven finalists: Bakunawa, Cardea, Ehaema, Enkidu, Ótr, Tarriaksuk, and Tecciztecatl, each with mythological origins. The public can vote for their favorite name until January 1, 2025, with a panel of experts, including Bill Nye, having selected the finalists.
A peculiar moon named Zoozve was discovered on a solar system poster, leading to a year-long investigation by Latif Nasser and his team at Radiolab. The moon turned out to be a quasi-moon of Venus, officially named 524522 Zoozve by the International Astronomical Union. The naming process involved overcoming challenges and rules, ultimately resulting in the charming story of Zoozve's discovery swaying the vote. The discovery sheds light on the intriguing world of quasi-moons in the solar system.
An image capturing the path of the Sun across the sky in Germany between the summer solstice and winter solstice in 2018 has been featured in a competition by the International Astronomical Union's Office of Education. The image, created by Frank Niessen using a pinhole camera made from a coffee can, combines images taken at different times of day over six months, with each curve representing the Sun's path on a specific day. Gaps in the image indicate cloudy days.
The guidelines for naming planetary surface features are biased towards men, with fewer than 2% of Mars's craters and only 2% of Moon craters named after women, according to research. Annie Lennox, a doctoral researcher at The Open University, argues that the male-biased culture of naming planetary features disadvantages women and marginalized groups. Lennox is urging the International Astronomical Union (IAU) to change its policies, which she claims are biased towards cisgender white men. The IAU establishes working groups to propose and approve names based on guidelines that often honor historical figures or cultural themes. Lennox's research found that Mercury had the highest representation of women's names among the planets analyzed, while Mars had the lowest.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has named an asteroid, 32599 Pedromachado, after Pedro Machado, an astrophysicist at the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences. Pedro Machado specializes in planetary atmospheres and the detection and characterization of asteroids and trans-Neptunian objects. The asteroid, which orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the Asteroid Belt, was discovered in 2001 and received its definitive designation from the IAU. Pedro Machado joins other researchers from the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences who have had asteroids named after them.
NASA gives names to every boulder, pebble, and rock surface they study on Mars to help the team keep track of what they're finding each day. Official names have been approved by the International Astronomical Union, while unofficial nicknames are based on terrestrial locations. The Curiosity and Perseverance missions stick to nicknames based on terrestrial locations, with the latest quadrant named after Roraima, the northernmost state of Brazil, and for Mount Roraima. Perseverance is exploring the Rocky Mountain quadrant and recently drilled into rocks at a location bearing the nickname of Rocky Mountain National Park's "Powell Peak."
Scientists have discovered 62 new moons orbiting Saturn, bringing the planet's total to 145, surpassing Jupiter's 95 confirmed moons. The newly discovered moons are all "irregular moons" and are expected to be recognized by the International Astronomical Union later this month. The moons are believed to have originated from a larger parent moon that broke apart millions of years ago.
Saturn has regained its title as the planet with the most moons in the solar system, with the discovery of 62 new moons bringing its total to 145, surpassing Jupiter's 95. The new moons will eventually be named after Gallic, Norse, and Canadian Inuit gods. Many of the new moons are believed to be remnants of a recent moon-moon collision. The discovery was made using a technique called "shift and stack" to detect fainter and smaller satellites.