NAMING THE PLANETS: The IAU said according to a 1979 deal with China, Chinese astronomers are referred to as ‘China Nanjing’ and Taiwanese as ‘China Taipei’
Taipei Times
Date: Jan 06, 2020
By: Chien Hui-ju and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer
Taiwanese astronomers who named an exoplanet and the star it orbits have been listed as being from
A list of approved names of exoplanets on the Web site of Paris-based International Astronomical Union, with Taiwan listed as China Taipei and China listed as China Nanjing.
Photo taken from the International Astronomical Union Web site
The astronomers, who were part of a research team that last year became the first to photograph a black hole, were invited by the IAU to an event to mark the group’s 100th anniversary and name recently discovered exoplanets and their stars, but attended under the title “China Taipei,” the society said.
The IAU said the designation was the result of discussions it held in 1979 with Chinese authorities, which concluded with Chinese astronomers working under the title “China Nanjing” and Taiwanese astronomers as “China Taipei.”
After it announced its intent to participate in the event and opened up entries to Taiwanese astronomers, ASROC received 128 submissions, which received 6,101 votes, it said, adding that it chose the winning entry last month. [FULL STORY]
