Pupils from Garrett Hall Primary School in Manchester have been shortlisted in a global competition to name an exoplanet and its host star.
As part of their centenary celebrations, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) is organising a global competition called Name Exoworlds. The competition launched in September 2019 and as part of this worldwide project, the UK has the unique opportunity to give a popular name to a selected exoplanet and its host star.
The pupils from Garrett Hall Primary School chose the name ‘Elan’ for the Exoplanet and ‘Galloway’ for the Star. These were chosen as Galloway Forest in Scotland and Elan Valley in Wales are two of the best area in the UK to view the night sky. Both are designated as Dark Sky Parks and other similar UK areas would expand this theme.
Over 10,000 young people across the UK suggested over 1,000 individual names for consideration. These were whittled down to a “top ten” by a team of astronomy experts, with the public now offered the chance to crown a winner.
In recent years, astronomers have discovered thousands of planets and planetary systems orbiting around nearby stars. Some are small and rocky like the Earth, whilst others are gas giants like Jupiter.
It is now believed that most stars in the Universe could have planets orbiting them and that some of them may have physical characteristics that resemble those of the Earth. The sheer number of stars in the Universe, resulting in potentially countless planets, along with the ubiquity of compounds that are beneficial to the presence and growth of microorganisms, suggests that extra-terrestrial life may be likely.
The Competition Closes on December the 2nd and you can vot for the star to be named ‘Galloway’ by Clicking HERE
