Parent star and exoplanet given Thai names
The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation (MHESI) announces that the International Astronomical Union (IAU) revealed the Thai names for the parent star GJ3470 and its exoplanet, GJ3470b, as "Kaewkosin" and "Phailinsiam,” respectively. These names were chosen through the activity called "Nominate Thai Names for Exoplanets," organized by the National Astronomical Research Institute. The general public voted on a total of 335 qualified names proposed for participation in the NameExoWorlds 2022 event. A total of 603 names were proposed from 91 countries, and approximately 12 million people worldwide participated in the event.
The parent star was named "Kaewkosin," which is related to "Rattanakosin," the era when this star was discovered. The exoplanet, which orbits the parent star and resembles a blue gem, was named "Phailinsiam," or Siamese sapphire, representing the association with gemstones.
This marks the third exoplanet system to be named in Thai, following the previous certifications of the 47 UMa system as "Chalawan-Taphaokaew-Taphaothong" and the WASP-50 system as "Chaophraya-Maeping."