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Offline Gefn

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Minor planet named Bernard
« on: February 23, 2017, 01:25:09 pm »
A minor planet in the Solar System will officially be known as Bernardbowen after Australian citizen science project theSkyNet won a competition to name the celestial body.

The minor planet was named by the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) in honour of their founding chairman Dr Bernard Bowen.

Bernardbowen sits in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and takes 3.26 Earth years to orbit the Sun.

The minor planet was discovered on October 28, 1991, and until now has been known as (6196) 1991 UO4.

Based at ICRAR, theSkyNet has been running since 2011 and sees citizen scientists donating their spare computing power to help Australian astronomers uncover the mysteries of the Universe.

Its 50,000-odd volunteers entered an International Astronomical Union (IAU) contest to name planets beyond our Solar System.

Project founders ICRAR also won the right to name a minor planet within our Solar System.

Bernardbowen was one of 17 minor planets to be christened today.

Other newly named minor planets include Kagura, after a traditional Shinto theatrical dance, and Mehdia, which is equivalent to the Arabic word for gift.

Dr Bowen is renowned as one of the country's finest science administrators and has presided over scientific advances ranging from the oceans to the skies. He was instrumental in the establishment of ICRAR in 2009, and helped bring part of the Square Kilometre Array telescope to Western Australia.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Minor_planet_named_Bernard_999.html
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Offline Gefn

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Re: Minor planet named Bernard
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2017, 01:25:50 pm »
I thought this was an interesting name for a planet.
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Offline Frank Cannon

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Re: Minor planet named Bernard
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2017, 01:49:13 pm »
Quote from: Freya on February 23, 2017, 01:25:50 pm
I thought this was an interesting name for a planet.

This is the type of name that is going to get this planet beat up on the playground.
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Offline Gefn

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Re: Minor planet named Bernard
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2017, 01:58:36 pm »
Quote from: Frank Cannon on February 23, 2017, 01:49:13 pm
This is the type of name that is going to get this planet beat up on the playground.

I can think of one worse name. Uranus?  :silly:
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Offline EC

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Re: Minor planet named Bernard
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2017, 02:05:45 pm »
I'm gonna grumble. It breaks the informal naming rules - celestial bodies get named from mythology, lunar features are named after astronomers, features on mercury are named after artists etc.

Unless Bernard was mythically good at sciencing, of course ....  :tongue2:
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Offline Gefn

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Re: Minor planet named Bernard
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2017, 02:21:00 pm »
Quote from: EC on February 23, 2017, 02:05:45 pm
I'm gonna grumble. It breaks the informal naming rules - celestial bodies get named from mythology, lunar features are named after astronomers, features on mercury are named after artists etc.

Unless Bernard was mythically good at sciencing, of course ....  :tongue2:

It's like those companies who name a star after you for $50. I had someone do that for me once apon a time.
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Offline EC

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Re: Minor planet named Bernard
« Reply #6 on: February 23, 2017, 02:32:54 pm »
Quote from: Freya on February 23, 2017, 02:21:00 pm
It's like those companies who name a star after you for $50. I had someone do that for me once apon a time.

Freya's a good name for a star.  :laugh:
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Offline andy58-in-nh

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Re: Minor planet named Bernard
« Reply #7 on: February 23, 2017, 02:33:29 pm »
Quote from: Frank Cannon on February 23, 2017, 01:49:13 pm
This is the type of name that is going to get this planet beat up on the playground.
He'd get his asteroid kicked. Look, it's Planet Bernie!!! get him!!!!
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Offline Frank Cannon

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Re: Minor planet named Bernard
« Reply #8 on: February 23, 2017, 02:40:47 pm »
Quote from: andy58-in-nh on February 23, 2017, 02:33:29 pm
He'd get his asteroid kicked. Look, it's Planet Bernie!!! get him!!!!

Planet Bernard.....

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Offline Doug Loss

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Re: Minor planet named Bernard
« Reply #9 on: February 23, 2017, 04:57:55 pm »
Quote from: EC on February 23, 2017, 02:05:45 pm
I'm gonna grumble. It breaks the informal naming rules - celestial bodies get named from mythology, lunar features are named after astronomers, features on mercury are named after artists etc.

Unless Bernard was mythically good at sciencing, of course ....  :tongue2:

Actually, minor planets (think: asteroids) get named for pretty much anything the discoverer wants. 

http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/MPNames.html
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Offline Weird Tolkienish Figure

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Re: Minor planet named Bernard
« Reply #10 on: February 23, 2017, 05:12:03 pm »
Just be glad it's not named "Bernie".  ^-^
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