Astronomy / Space Alpha Centauri is officially no more!!!

[Mephane]

You really could not make this up... The IAU has sorted out all the different names of stars in order to end naming confusion. So Alpha Centauri is now actually named Rigil Kentaurus.

It's not a joke... honest.

*looks at calendar*
*looks at calendar again*

You sure it's not April 1st?

**** it. I am still going to call it Alpha Centauri. And Pluto is is still a planet for me.

 

[Deleted member 110222]

Uninstalling game.

 

[Shadowdancer]

Considering how many names were the result of medieval Europeans having a hard time copying Arab works, it could have been worse

 

[Bartizan]

IAU just can't help themselves can they?

 

[dreampage]

#MakeAlphaCentauriGreatAgain

 

[willowfan]

This is outrageous!

What do the small furry creatures feel about having their identity ripped away from them?

 

[Cajuncontroller]

I am collecting funds for a recount, please send all donations to ME!!

 

[Tuub t Tute]

Nooooo! this is worse than Burned Woods moving to Western Wastes :/

 

[Sir.Tj]

It's Marathon and Snickers all over again....

 

[Bran Tse Mallory]

It's Marathon and Snickers all over again....

Is this an admission of guilt?

I have already written a letter to editor of the Times of London over this outrageous act of bureaucratic vandalism.

 

[Lunchmoney]

It will always be Centauri...

 

[Para Handy]

I did point this IAU thing out here:

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/309829-Proper-Star-Names

 

[Para Handy]

I don't know what all the fuss is about - the star still has the same Bayer designation of Alpha Centauri, it just has it's old name now codified as being the accepted "proper name".

 

[Martian Successor]

It's Marathon and Snickers all over again....

I would like to be the first to blame you for this TJ. Ya done gone and suggested this to IAU, admit it!

 

[Sir.Tj]

I would like to be the first to blame you for this TJ. Ya done gone and suggested this to IAU, admit it!

I have only one answer to this scurrilous accusation..

Spoiler

 

[Lianachan]

I always thought Alpha Centauri was the name of the system, and that Rigil Kentaurus was the name of the α star therein, or the binary system of it and β.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

I always thought Alpha Centauri was the name of the system, and that Rigil Kentaurus was the name of the α star therein, or the binary system of it and β.

Oh, get a load of Mr Fancy Pants here!

 

[Para Handy]

I always thought Alpha Centauri was the name of the system, and that Rigil Kentaurus was the name of the α star therein, or the binary system of it and β.

Nope Rigil Kentaurus (meaning the foot of the centaur) was labelled Alpha Centauri by Beyer, the star he labelled as Beta is known as Hadar (I don't know how to pronounce or latin-spell the Arabic).

The binary Alpha Centauri has two stars suffixed A and B, the third star (may be gravitationally bound) suffix C is Proxima Centauri - no historical "proper" name as it is not a naked-eye star but was included in the IAU WGSN list as Proxima Centauri.


P.S. Maybe the thread title should be changed to "Alpha Centauri is officially still there."

 

[Section47ABH]

Astronomers (and Paleontologists, they're as bad and often worse) should just NOT be allowed to name things. They invariably get it wrong.

 

[Lianachan]

Nope Rigil Kentaurus (meaning the foot of the centaur) was labelled Alpha Centauri by Beyer, the star he labelled as Beta is known as Hadar (I don't know how to pronounce or latin-spell the Arabic).

The binary Alpha Centauri has two stars suffixed A and B, the third star (may be gravitationally bound) suffix C is Proxima Centauri - no historical "proper" name as it is not a naked-eye star but was included in the IAU WGSN list as Proxima Centauri.


P.S. Maybe the thread title should be changed to "Alpha Centauri is officially still there."

I couldn't remember Hadar's name, cheers. Rigil Kentaurus has always been, and is (especially now!) a perfectly cromulent name for Bayer's A.