Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1193631
NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 18 DECEMBER 2019 8 THE names of 112 sets of exo- planets and host stars named in the IAU100 NameExoW- orlds campaigns were an- nounced at a press conference in Paris, with Malta's public also represented in the name selection. 112 countries organised national campaigns that at- tracted the direct participa- tion of over 780,000 people worldwide, who proposed and selected names for each exoplanet and its host star for the International Astronomi- cal Union's 100th anniversary commemorations (IAU100). In the case of Malta and Gozo, the Maltese public se- lected the names Ġgantija for the exoplanet and Sansuna for the star. Both names are associated with the megalithic temples of Ġgantija on the island of Go- zo, Malta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ġgantija, or 'giantess', is the megalithic temple complex on the island of Gozo, which al- ludes to the grandeur of this gas giant exoplanet. Sansuna is the name of the mythologi- cal giant from traditional Mal- tese folk tales that carried the stones of the Gozo megalithic temples on her head. The exoplanet and star (HAT-P-34) are in the Sagitta constellation. The IAU100 NameExoW- orlds global project was con- ceived to create awareness of man's place in the Universe and to reflect on how the Earth would potentially be perceived by a civilisation on another planet. As the IAU is the authority responsible for assigning of- ficial designations and names to celestial bodies, the IAU100 celebrations in 2019 were used as a special occasion to offer every country the chance to name one planetary system, comprising an exoplanet and its host star. The IAU is the international astronomical organisation that brings together more than 13 500 professional as- tronomers from more than 100 countries worldwide. Its mission is to promote and safeguard astronomy in all its aspects, including research, communication, education and development, through international coop- eration. The IAU also serves as the internationally recognised au- thority for assigning designa- tions to celestial bodies and the surface features on them. Maltese pick Ggantija and Sansuna for Sagitta planet and star 2 0 years of journalism It's Happy Birthday to us, but it's only thanks to you, our readers. 2 0 years of journalism It's Happy Birthday to us, but it's only thanks to you, our readers. CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF BOLD JOURNALISM WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT/20YEARS