Astronomical Naming Conventions
In ancient times, only the Sun and Moon, a few hundred stars and the most easily visible planets had names. Over the last few hundred years, the number of identified astronomical objects has risen from hundreds to over a billion, and more are discovered every year. Astronomers need to be able to assign systematic designations to unambiguously identify all of these objects, and at the same time give names to the most interesting objects and, where relevant, features of those objects.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is the body officially recognized by astronomers and other scientists worldwide as the de facto naming authority for astronomical bodies. In response to the need for unambiguous names for astronomical objects, it has created a number of systematic naming systems for bodies of various sorts.
Read more about Astronomical Naming Conventions: Names of Stars, Names and Boundaries of Constellations, Names of Supernovae, Names of Galaxies, Names of Planets, Natural Satellites of Planets, Geological and Geographical Features On Planets and Satellites, Minor Planets, Comets, Designations For Extra-solar Planets
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