Celestial Bodies Get Korean Names
A worldwide contest was recently held to name celestial bodies that were newly discovered. Interestingly, two names submitted by Korean high school students were among the winners.The naming contest was organized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU),* which aimed to find names for 20 new stars and exoplanets, or planets outside the solar system. The contest took place online in October 2022, and 603 names were submitted by people from 91 countries.In June, the winners of the contest were announced, and they included Lee Ji-woo and Kim Do-yeon from Dongduk Girls’ High School in Seoul. The names suggested by the two high schoolers were given to a star and an exoplanet located around 63 light years* from Earth.The star was named Maru, while the exoplanet was given the name Ahra. The two names are associated with the sky and the ocean, respectively. The high schoolers said they deliberately chose the names to raise awareness of environmental issues.This is the second time for newly discovered celestial bodies to be given Korean names. During the IAU’s previous contest in 2019, the names Baekdu and Halla were chosen for an alien planetary system about 531 light years from Earth.
Questions:1. What was the purpose of the naming contest organized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU)?2. How many names were submitted for the contest, and from how many countries?3. What were the names given to the star and the exoplanet suggested by the Korean high school students?4. Why did the high schoolers choose the names Maru and Ahra for the celestial bodies?5. Why do you think it is important to give names to newly discovered celestial bodies? How does it contribute to our understanding and appreciation of the universe? What impact can the deliberate choice of names associated with environmental issues have on raising awareness?
