The IAU's names for exoplanets – and on most occasions their host stars – are chosen by the Executive Committee Working Group (ECWG) on Public Naming of Planets and Planetary Satellites, a group working parallel with the Working Group on Star Names (WGSN).[1]Proper names of stars chosen by the ECWG are explicitly recognised by the WGSN.[1] The ECWG's rules for naming exoplanets are identical to those adopted by the Minor Planet Center for minor planets.[2] Names are a single word consisting of sixteen characters or less, pronounceable in some language, non-offensive, and not identical to existing proper names of astronomical objects.[3] Copyrighted names, names of living individuals, and names with political or religious themes are blacklisted by the ECWG.[4] In addition, the discoverer of a planet reserves the right to reject a proposed name for it.[5]
^ abGarcia, Beatriz; Hamacher, Duane; Mamajek, Eric; Montmerle, Thierry; Pasachoff, Jay; Ridpath, Ian; Xiaochun, Sun (July 2016). "Bulletin of the IAU Working Group on Star Names, No. 1"(PDF). International Astronomical Union. Archived(PDF) from the original on 10 January 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2020. The naming purview for the WGSN will specifically be for stars [...] but will specifically exclude exoplanets (purview of EC WG Public Naming of Planets and the Planetary Systems) [...] The WGSN explicitly recognizes the names of exoplanets and their host stars approved by the EC WG Public Naming of Planets and Planetary Satellites.
^Montmerle et al. 2016, "The public names proposed in naming campaign should follow the naming rules and restrictions adopted for Minor Bodies of the Solar System, by the IAU and by the Minor Planet Center..."
^Montmerle et al. 2016, "16 characters or less in length; Preferably one word; Pronounceable (in some language); Non-offensive; Not too similar to an existing name of an astronomical object."
^Montmerle et al. 2016, "In addition it is not allowed to propose: Names of individuals, places or events principally known for political, military or religious activities; Names of living individuals [...] The process must be respectful of intellectual property: It must be demonstrated that previously existing names, when proposed, are free for public use (i.e., for instance, not subject to copyright royalties, as could be the case for names created in fiction works, like books, plays, movies, etc.)..."
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