How do stars get their names?
Star names, as well as the names for comets, asteroids, galaxies, and nebulae, are approved and catalogued by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in Paris. The brighter stars are designated by the constellation in which they appear and are ranked by Greek letters, generally according to their relative brightness; Alpha Centauri is the brightest star in the constellation Centaurus, Beta Centauri is the next brightest, and so on. Historical names, such as Regulus (Alpha Leonis) and Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri) also are commonly used.
Dimmer stars have a less aesthetic fate. Once the Greek alphabet is exhausted in a constellation, the IAU turns to a simple numbering system. A recently discovered brown dwarf -- a very dim starlike object -- was saddled with the cumbersome moniker GL229B. The B indicates that it orbits the slightly brighter star GL229, and GL refers to the Gliese Catalog of nearby stars.
» FAQs about StarDate Online
Stars and Nebulae Links
StarDate's Black Hole Encyclopedia
Stars and Constellations
Virtual Trips to Black Holes and Neutron Stars
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