International Legislation in the Field of Astronomical Nomenclature

• Author: Liliya Kazantseva
• Position: Candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, the Head of the Astronomical Museum, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Kyiv, Ukraine)
• Pages: 19-25

Advanced Space Law, Volume 4, 2019 19

International Legislation in the Field

of Astronomical Nomenclature

Liliya Kazantseva1

Candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, the Head of the Astronomical Museum,

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

(Kyiv, Ukraine)

E-mail: Kazantsevaliliya1@gmail.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8289-3954

The names of celestial objects and natural formations on the Earth’s surface take into account

historical trends and certain generalized systematics. National and regional names are more used in

relation to anthropogenic objects. The decision to assign a name to a celestial body is made by the

relevant international structures through a preliminary long-term study. International and national legal

acts, regulating the sphere of astronomical nomenclature, are analyzed.

Keywords: astronomical nomenclature, space law, astronomical names

Received: September 27, 2019; accepted: November 01, 2019

Advanced Space Law, Volume 4, 2019: 19-25.

https://doi.org/10.29202/asl/2019/4/2

Introduction

There are times when, as a sign of sincere gratitude, admiration “in memory of” or from

a distant calculation, one person or persons want to give another one something unusual and

unique, in addition naming in honour of the lucky one. It is good if the donators have such a

thing or object, otherwise, in case of a car, TV, perfume or any material thing made or designed

not by you, it is dicult to rename, it is already clear to everyone. You can give a named villa,

yacht, hotel, company or rm, fund. And if you want something bigger or large-scale? Village,

river, maybe sea or ocean, island, continent? Here everyone understands that it will not be

possible. But the star to give, call it whatever you want, paying a lot of money and getting a

beautiful multi-colored certicate, someone considers it as a good gift option to another person

or even oneself. And is it really so? In practice, as a result of unclear provisions of international

law and existing legal gaps in the “Outer Space Treaty”, certain individuals, in fact, appropriate

space objects that are the property of the whole community [Svitlychnyy, 2019].

© Kazantseva, Liliya, 2019