Future Naming Scheme for Planets and Systems in Our Evolving Universe

In summary, the conversation is about researching for a novel set in a futuristic society with advanced technology and long-range interstellar travel. The speaker is seeking a more sophisticated naming scheme for planets, systems, and galaxies, and questions the terminology for a single star system and the use of colloquial names for celestial objects. They also mention philosophical discussions about the size and shape of the universe and the concept of a multiverse. The summary concludes with a suggestion for using the unary numeral system for naming single star systems.
  • #1
Omega_Prime
23
0
Ok, so I've been passionately researching my latest novel idea as it takes place in an extremely far fetched future with long range interstellar travel and all that and the brink of controlled time modulation etc...

While doing this, I've been able to name every site, system, planet of importance, however I find that an intelligent futuristic society would have some kind of tried and true, advanced naming scheme to reference planets, systems, galaxies etc apart from their relative Universal location as these humans might no longer consider "Earth" home as we do today (no more than my parents consider Africa home, as in Ancestral Eve Africa). For the most part this is done, my problem lies in things like:

1. What is the name for a solitary multiple star system (I hope I'm wording this correctly! - I get the naming scheme from 2 stars on: Binary, Trinary, Quaternary etc... but what is only one star system called?

2. Suppose a freighter was traveling from, say Europa to the Earth's moon. If said freighter's pilot was getting absolutely hammered minutes before preflight at a Europan tavern would he say he was headed to Earth's moon? Whereas another guy might say he's just flying to Phobos. Not having to say Mar's moon, Phobos?

3. Also, how set are we on defining what is "The" Universe? Have there been any discussions on the possibility that things may exist outside of what we perceive as existence? This is perhaps more philosophical than physically scientific though, or is that the realm of the Multiverse..? What I'm curious about is, can we explain the size and shape of the Universe? It appears that the universe we see can be spatially mapped 3 dimensionally right now, but this may change as we come to understand... other dimensions such as time to which we can treat like distances and locations. If such is probable.

I hope this leads to some good discussion, and I appreciate any constructive input, information or areas where I may acquire some more insight. I tried googling for solutions with the above which was rewarding, but I'm still amused with these for the moment.

Thanks for your time or 2 cents!
 
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  • #2
Omega_Prime said:
3. Also, how set are we on defining what is "The" Universe? Have there been any discussions on the possibility that things may exist outside of what we perceive as existence? This is perhaps more philosophical than physically scientific though, or is that the realm of the Multiverse..? What I'm curious about is, can we explain the size and shape of the Universe? It appears that the universe we see can be spatially mapped 3 dimensionally right now, but this may change as we come to understand... other dimensions such as time to which we can treat like distances and locations. If such is probable.

The size/shape of the universe is not known. It may be infinite or it may be finite but bounded. There are LOTS of discussions of the multiverse and such things but there is exactly zero evidence for any such. The "universe" means all that there is, so there is no such thing as "outside" of the universe.
 
  • #3
You could use Terra and Luna, if you want some less colloquial names for Earth and its moon, respectively.
 
  • #4

Related to Future Naming Scheme for Planets and Systems in Our Evolving Universe

1. What is the purpose of creating a future naming scheme for planets and systems in our evolving universe?

The purpose of creating a future naming scheme for planets and systems in our evolving universe is to establish a standardized and organized way of identifying and referring to celestial bodies as we continue to discover and explore the vastness of our universe.

2. How will the future naming scheme differ from the current system of naming planets and systems?

The future naming scheme will likely differ from the current system in that it will take into account the ever-changing nature of our universe and the potential discovery of new planets and systems. It may also incorporate more scientific and technical elements, rather than being based solely on mythological or historical references.

3. Who will be responsible for creating and implementing the future naming scheme?

This will likely be a collaborative effort among various organizations and institutions, such as international space agencies, astronomy societies, and scientific communities. Ultimately, it will be up to the International Astronomical Union (IAU) to approve and adopt the new naming scheme.

4. Will the future naming scheme be retroactively applied to previously discovered planets and systems?

This is a possibility, as the IAU has previously made decisions to rename or reclassify celestial bodies based on new information and discoveries. However, this will ultimately be determined by the specific guidelines and criteria of the future naming scheme.

5. How long will it take for the future naming scheme to be established and implemented?

This is difficult to predict, as it will depend on the level of collaboration and agreement among various organizations and the complexity of the naming scheme itself. It could take several years or even decades for the new system to be fully established and implemented across the scientific community.

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