TFW you live in a galaxy-spanning super civilization but your planet is dying because its ID in the central database has a UUID collision with another planet 80000 light years away.
Well, the UUIDs for almost everything we use are galaxy-scale already. Astronomers just need to up those random letters a bit.
"Works on my machine"
How difficult would it be for every single thing that can be cataloged and named in the known universe to have a sufficiently unique UUID?
IDK, it's fun to think about because maybe the 128 bit UUID is still being used due to 40k-like levels of technical debt, and also weird edge cases that cause ID explosion. Like maybe the 4000 year old spec says we need to track micrometeoroids too, sorry.
according to wikipedia, there are about 10⁸⁰ protons in the observable universe
you would need 266 bits to give each one a different number
if you are using base 64, you would need 45 digits
it would look something like this aGVoc3Z4ZnN5YWhkYiByaHNqc2hyIGcgZGhzaGVkaGJz1
Just slap a number on it we'll name it when it matters
And then someone decides to name a random planet simply "Steve"
STEEEEEEEVE!
O7
Manufacturers of computer monitors be like:
Sony with their headphones be like:
I believe that's intended, so it's harder for you to compare models from different retailers. At least that's how it works for mattresses.
I discovered a new planet! Now I just need to think of a good name for it sets cat down on keyboard
After the generations of repeated offence to the Betelgeusish by earthlings trying to pronounce the native name for their home star, it's probably for the best.
"I seem to be having this tremendous difficulty with my lifestyle"
Why not Zoidhuirorgerg?
Jokes aside, I'm sure there is SOME method for how they name what they find; I highly doubt they just use a random number generator. Does anyone here know what that process is?
I'm not a scientist/astronomer but my beste guess would be that stuff is named based on the instrument/telescope that found it first and some number or based on survey project names. There are so many objects we discover, anything "more sophisticated" would probably be too much work. If something turns out interesting later it might get additional names or a nick name.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_naming_conventions#Modern_catalogues
It's based on their coordinates from earth, but the end result is basically what's in the OP.
Cat walking across keyboards at the wrong time of a group chat
After a few conversations it will be called HOGO
To be fair, we don't have any pics of exoplanets. Technically, we could measure their surface temperature and basic chemistry through spectroscoopy but I don't think they reflect enough photons for our equipment. They are usually identified by dimming their star slightly when passing in front of it. This can give an estimated size and distance from their star. And maybe atmosphere composition if it refracts! So they're not naming this kind of picture but a bunch of data with big error bars.
P4X-639.
In the middle of my backswing?!
Almost resembles an UUID mixed with an IPv6 address.
A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.
Rules
This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.
