spacetoday.net: IAU expresses opposition to Mars crater naming initiative

Posted: Thu, Mar 13, 2014, 7:33 AM ET (1133 GMT)
Mars seen by Hubble August 2003 (STScI)

An effort to crowdsource names for Martian craters that seeks to raise money for space education and research efforts is facing opposition from an international astronomy organization. Last month, Uwingu announced it was seeking names for up to half a million craters on Mars that currently do not have names; people can name those craters on Uwingu's map for fees starting at $5, with proceeds being used to fund space research and education efforts. However, on Tuesday the International Astronomical Union (IAU) said it opposed such efforts, saying they "go against the spirit of free and equal access to space" as well as current planetary nomenclature standards. The IAU statement did not explicitly mention Uwingu, but said that names purchased in such a manner would not be used on official IAU maps. Uwingu officials have argued that it is "misguided" for the IAU to discourage public participation in such efforts, or that the organization is the only one who should be able to name features on other worlds.