If you happen to be in Kentucky in late February, you may want to visit Thomas More University’s Observatory for a special lecture on astronomy. The lecture is titled “Please Stop Letting Astronomers Name Things,” and it will occur on Saturday, February 21st at 6pm.
Here is the write up for the talk:
From planetary nebulae to spaghettification, astronomers have a long tradition of giving confusing, misleading, or downright silly names to serious physical phenomena. This talk takes a humorous tour through the best and worst examples of astronomical naming. Along the way, we’ll see how names can clarify ideas, confuse students, and occasionally make astronomers cringe.
Maybe the lecturer will discuss oddly named objects such as the star named Gomez’s Hamburger or the Spirograph Nebula.
It sounds like an interesting lecture, and additional lectures are scheduled through the spring.
Our Awesome Universe 