• TargaryenTKE@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    Jokes aside, I’m sure there is SOME method for how they name what they find; I highly doubt they just use a random number generator. Does anyone here know what that process is?

    • wischi@programming.dev
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      3 days ago

      I’m not a scientist/astronomer but my beste guess would be that stuff is named based on the instrument/telescope that found it first and some number or based on survey project names. There are so many objects we discover, anything “more sophisticated” would probably be too much work. If something turns out interesting later it might get additional names or a nick name.