It appears the IAU misleads the public by claiming Uwingu was doing something wrong in asking the public to participate in simply nominating names for exoplants. It also misleads in claiming that it’s role in technical nomenclature given to it by astronomy organizations gives it the all powerful right to decide what anyone may call any object in the universe.
- Can One Buy the Right to Name a Planet? – IAU
- Can You Buy Exoplanet Naming Rights? No IAU Says – Space.com
- The International Astronomical Union has issued a press release condemning the commercial efforts of private companies to issue names for exoplanets. – Behind The Black
This is as silly as the IAU’s claim that a majority vote among a group of astronomers can instantly convert a planet to a non-planet.
Inevitably some exoplanets will have popular names, i.e nicknames, in addition to the technical names used by astronomy organizations.