h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This may seem an odd question and probably lives within the realms of SF rather than in true cosmology but here goes:

How do you names planets and moons not in our solar system? What I mean are there any set rules? Is planets Sirius B V so called because it's the 5th planet from Sirius B or something like that - assuming such a planet exists?

Also are there stars within about 50 light years of us that are known to have planets orbiting them and if so what sort of planets, gas giants, big rocks, etc? I know planets are being discovered or, at least, there is evidence from wobbles in stars or something like that.

That's a good question. I don't have the data to hand but I do have it in a book in the other room. I'll get back to you on that. Tomorrow I'll try an include as much as an answer as I can. I have the names, distances and I may have the types and even information on a promising life one. Looking at the names we may be able to work it out.
On the subject of names in my books I've used a few I made up.
I'll look up your answers as soon as possible.

I'm a bit tonight but I'll give you your answer tomorrow after work even if I need some to keep me awake and some to stimulate the brain and the to stroke.
I will say that your answer to the naming of the planets is correct. They do ask the international science commitie but I think the names eventually to become things like 'Vega 6' for the sixth planet discovered around Vega. You may want to look up the origonal names for the six extra moons discoverd around Neptune during Voyager 2's fly-by. They were renamed but the first names are like that. I have them around somewhere but I can't guess where but if you manage to look them up you'll see what I mean.

It's not easy to fund extra-solar planets since they are only 1 billionth as bright as their parent star. We have been discovering them since 1995.
Below is a list of some planets including the distance from their star.

14 Herculis 370 million km.
47 Ursae Majoris 320 million km.
16 Cygni B 250 million km.
Earth 150 million km.
70 Virgins 64 million km.
Rho Coronae Barealis 34 million km.
Gliese 876 million km.
55 Cancri 16 million km.
Upsilon Andromedae 8.5 million km.
51 Pegasi 7.5 million km.
Tau Bootis 6.9 million km.

I don't know if you left me your E-mail address or not. If you didn't please include it and I'll send you a table giving details of the first 10 extrasolar planets discoverd.

Time for some .

Thanks, I can be contacted at:

[email protected]

I have a huge amount of information about the 111 nearest stars (all thouse within 20 light-years). Two of those have planets around them.
Epsiolon Eidini (spelling?) has one an I think Ross 280 is the other. I know it's Ross something, I'll check it out for you. This one in fact has two. It is also belived there may be planets around Barnard's Star.
Read about the Doggon tribe from Africa. They talk about an amphibas being from Sirius giving them information they couldn't have found out but we have since proved.

If you look up the brightest stars within 50 light years you'll also find there some have one, two or even three planets round them. By lets not forget Sol that has 9!

Hi, I thought you may find this interesting, these are some of the stars within 50 light years of Earth that have planets round them.
Sol at a distance of 0.00 ly has 8.
Epsilon Eridani at a distance of 8.60 ly has 1.
Ross 780 at a distance of 15.34 ly has 2.
HR637 at a distance of 35.60 ly has 1.
54 Piscium at a distance of 36.23 ly has 1.
Rho1 Cancri at a distance of 40.87 ly has 3.
HR6094 at a distance of 41.98 ly has 1.
Upsilon Andromedae at a distance of 43.93 ly has 3.
Gamma Cephei at a distance of 44.99 ly has 1.
47 Ursae Majoris at a distance of 45.91 ly has 2.
and
Mu Arae at a distance of 49.83 has 1.