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Star Name Conventions

Name Formats

Incorrectly formatted star names will cause a new star to be created in the database with its own light curve. So your observations will not be found by researches.

To avoid this problem, please ensure that all star names are accurate and adhere to agreed name conventions. Take particular care to ensure that spaces are only present when they are part of the name convention. Constellations should only be included where it is part of the name convention, and should be the standard 3 letter abbreviation.

Below are examples of some of the more common name formats:

• SS Cyg - Space between letter designation and constellation
• Delta Cep - Full english spelling of greek letter followed by 3 character constellation
• Gaia16ams - No spaces
• HD 126138 - Space between HD and number
• Nova Aql 2012 - Spaces between Nova, constellation and year
• NSV xxxx - Space between NSV and the identification number
• NSVS xxxx - Space bewteen NSVS and the identification number
• SN 2016ino - Space between SN and year but no space between year and letter identifiers
• V1404 Cyg - Space between Vxxxx and constellation
• WASP-2b - No spaces

Useful Websites

Below is a list of some useful websites for finding the agreed name for a star.

• AAVSO Variable Star Index (VSX): https://www.aavso.org/vsx/
• SIMBAD: http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/