What's in a Name

[Clonus]

So you're mapping your universe and you want to name your inhabited planets and systems? Well what kind of name you end up with is going to tend to be determined by who gets to name it:

 

Astronomers: Astronomers have a tradition of going with mythologies. So names like Odin, Hecate, Isis, Fenris, Kuan Yin or Anansi.

 

Colonising Governments: Governments are likely to go with naming planets after things they already control to send the message they control the new colony as well, leading to names like New London, Nuevo America, Texas or Nihon no Tenshi. They may instead have a tendency to name worlds after past or present officials or other persons they wish to honor, so Hammerskjold, Lincoln, Rice, Van Devoort.

 

Private Enterprise: Likely to go with names that will attract customers like Paradise, Greenfield, New Earth, Opportunity, Cornucopia, Hope.

 

Explorer and Early Settlers: Likely to name the planet after what they notice early on so names like Plateau, Purplewood, Dragonhome, Tempest, Montana.

[Edsel]

Re: What's in a Name

 

Good observation.

 

So were you going somewhere with this or just making an observation?

 

For the sake of it I have attached a file of over 4500 Star System names given in a database that I have. They are arranged in alphabetic order. These are, for the most part, fictional names.

[ghost-angel]

Re: What's in a Name

 

i'd name a new planet Bob.

[Nolgroth]

Re: What's in a Name

 

i'd name a new planet Bob.

I'd name mine "Radiological Hazard."

[Badger]

Re: What's in a Name

 

I'd name a planet I discovered "Mine"

 

As in "It's Mine"

[Comic]

Re: What's in a Name

 

This is a good thread. Much will come of it.

 

I claim it as my own, and plant my flag upon it, and dub it .. Oh? There's already someone living here?

 

Well, what do they call it?

[Outsider]

Re: What's in a Name

 

Explorers and settlers also have a tendency to name things after themselves, their sponsors (though this crosses into governments & Private enterprise areas too) and/or their religion.

 

Themselves : Pennsylvania, Vancouver Island, Hudson River.

 

For their Sponsors : Virginia, Jamestown, Louisiana.

 

Religion : Deseret (rejected by US Govt in favor of Utah), Providence.

 

 

A lot also depends on how difficult it is to discover new stars/worlds. If it is massively expensive, most names outside easy visual range of the solar system will have their names chosen by governments and/or major corporations. If it is relatively cheap, then indivuduals and small interest groups (religious or social) might get to name a few too.

[GoldenAge]

Re: What's in a Name

 

i'd name a new planet Bob.

 

Heh, it's been done (Titan AE).

[shadowcat1313]

Re: What's in a Name

 

or you could take a page from FASA and its Battletech Universe, which leaves the impression that they took a map of the american midwest and started throwing darts to get planet names

 

Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Iowa are especially common

although amazingly theres no planet Normal, thats in one of the old Traveller modules

[CourtFool]

Re: What's in a Name

 

Yes, what about the namers with senses of humor?

[ghost-angel]

Re: What's in a Name

 

Heh' date=' it's been done (Titan AE).[/quote']

 

At least someone got it.

 

(it was supposed to be a reference to Titan A.E. mr. roll-eyes )

[Cancer]

Re: What's in a Name

 

Actually, astronomers tend to be boring and use numbers. Deathless things like HD209458b.

 

I'd be stunned if Nyrath didn't have a list of real-life star names somewhere in his data/resource collection.

 

Edsel, I don't know if this is a surprise to you or if it mattes at all, but there's non-uniqueness in that list you have ... three "Phoenix"es, for example.

[Clonus]

Re: What's in a Name

 

Yes' date=' what about the namers with senses of humor?[/quote']

 

That would only happen if the naming is being done by lone guys or partnerships in tiny scout-ships. Committees and associations have no sense of humour.

 

Actually, astronomers tend to be boring and use numbers. Deathless things like HD209458b.

 

Yes and no. That's what they do with objects they don't find particularly interesting or that they aren't entirely sure actually exist. But they are still naming objects like Eris and Sedna because of their size and proximity, and should they discover life-bearing planets in space, they will certainly want to name them.

[Nyrath]

Re: What's in a Name

 

Actually, astronomers tend to be boring and use numbers. Deathless things like HD209458b.

 

I'd be stunned if Nyrath didn't have a list of real-life star names somewhere in his data/resource collection.

Indeed I do. In my databases that I use to make star maps, I try to use the most colorful names. Proper names like "Sirius" and "Arcturus" have priority. Then Bayer-Flamsteed names like "Tau Ceti", "Alpha Centauri", and other names which include a constellation (though I did have to write an abbreviation expander program to convert, for instance, BET CVn into Beta Canum Venaticorum)

 

After that I go with whatever catalog sounds trendy. I like using Bonner Dürchmusterung, Cordoba Dürchmusterung, and Cape Photographic Dürchmusterung catalog numbers since they have kewl declination degree symbols: e.g., BD +12° 1438

 

You can see some of my maps here:

http://www.projectrho.com/smap12.html

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: What's in a Name

 

An interesting thought on the matter from my favorite webcomic Freefall:

http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1200/fv01115.htm

 

Be sure to check out the rest of the series -- it goes slow, but it's a hoot!

 

Matt "The-shameless-fanboy" Frisbee

[Nyrath]

Re: What's in a Name

 

I make a quick edit pass through my database.

 

Here is a list of stars with actual names:

 

http://www.projectrho.com/Starname2.txt

[rjcurrie]

Re: What's in a Name

 

On the point of the expensiveness of space travel and exploration, what about the possibility of the government or private space agencies selling the rights to name planets and such?

[Cancer]

Re: What's in a Name

 

On the point of the expensiveness of space travel and exploration' date=' what about the possibility of the government or private space agencies selling the rights to name planets and such?[/quote']

 

In the real world, the official naming of astronomical objects and features on astronomical bodies is, by international agreement, strictly in the hands of the International Astronomical Union. That's been true since sometime early in the 20th Century (the 1920s, IIRC). That is more to suppress confusion and prevent duplication of names (especially for things like asteroids, where an object's identity can be a serious problem over time) than to reserve the thrill of adding nametags to a few dorky astronomers. Astronomers are eminently bribeable (ask me for a schedule of my rates if you're interested ) but the community as a whole is too stuffily academic to go for that sort of thing willingly.

 

Now, what happens when an astronomical object gets converted to occupied real estate is not yet defined, but I expect it'll be one of the things that gets hashed out in the whole sovereignty and ownership/claim issue.

[Clonus]

Re: What's in a Name

 

OK

 

First Wave: Out to 20 light years. Planets initially discovered by Starwisp probes are colonised by fusion rockets launched by Earth's nation. Names are from Earth mythology.

 

Second Wave: Out to 40 light years by reactionless drive. Names reflect the ideologies and religions of the "colonists" who are sent out by the Pax as a means of getting rid of their opponents.

 

Third Wave: Slow hyperdrive means that worlds that aren't habitable are now being colonised by corporations to act as trade links and mining colonies. They tend to end up being named disparagingly by the actual colonists.

 

Fourth Wave: Fast Hyperdrive takes colonisation beyond the 40 light year sphere.

[Kestrel]

Re: What's in a Name

 

A friend of mine ran a Star Hero game a while back. He gave out xp for those who contributed stuff to expand the game, to save him some trouble. My contribution?

 

The binary star system of Bartles and James. The main planet was Gallo. It had two moons named Ernest and Julio. Most of the planet's climate was suitable for growing grapes and similar fruits that were used to make wine for export. It was corny, but still a lot of fun.

[Nolgroth]

Re: What's in a Name

 

A friend of mine ran a Star Hero game a while back. He gave out xp for those who contributed stuff to expand the game, to save him some trouble. My contribution?

 

The binary star system of Bartles and James. The main planet was Gallo. It had two moons named Ernest and Julio. Most of the planet's climate was suitable for growing grapes and similar fruits that were used to make wine for export. It was corny, but still a lot of fun.

Corny? Yeah probably. But just think that somebody might have named it after a drunken spree and later looked back and decided that wasn't the best of ideas. Too late though; the Bureau of System Identification and Mapping only allows edits before it is officially distributed throughout the known universe. After that, changing a name is costly and time consuming. Sometimes, an official name change doesn't reach the outer colonies for years.