Kathmandu, September 23

The only planet of a solar system discovered by scientists inside the Milky Way will soon get a Nepali name as ‘Name Exoworld National Committee’ has opened voting for the general public to select a name for the planet.

People will have to vote for any one name among the 10 short-listed names recommended by Nepalis living across the world. The short-listed names are: Bhrikuti, Kumari, Sagarmatha, Karnali, Tilicho, Gautam Buddha, Hyatrung, Janak, Laliguras and Manjushree.

Earlier, International Astronomical Union, an apex body of more than 12,000 professional astronomers around the globe, had given Nepali people an opportunity to name the planetary system which consists of one star and one planet. The star with the code name HD100777 and the planet with the code name HD100777b will have a Nepali name for each.

Scientists have claimed the planet HD100777b has ‘possibility of habitable zone’. This solar system has a single planet which lies around 172.2 light years away from the earth at Leo Constellation.

Suresh Bhattarai, Chairman of ‘Name Exo-world National Committee, said that they had received names for the exo-planet from 476 Nepalis living in 11 countries. The committee had then selected the top 10 names.

After voting of the exo-planet ends, the committee will then reveal another top 10 names of the  star HD100777, and put it for public voting to finalise the name.

People can visit the website of Nepal Astronomical Society at www.nepalastronomicalsociety.org/exoworld for further information and cast their votes.

IAU is organising the ‘NameExoWorlds’ global competition giving an opportunity to 70 countries to name the ‘Exo Worlds’ discovered by scientists across the world, on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. There are above 4,000 exo-worlds discovered by scientists, majority of them are given scientific code names.