Project naming conventions

In order to simplify searches and to maintain consistency, the following conventions for naming should be used.

Naming objects

Since many objects have more than one name/designation it can be difficult to search for that object without consistency in naming. To help simplify the process the primary article name of an object, that is the name used in the ob_name field of the object template, will be selected in priority from the following list:

1. Messier Number
2. NGC Number
3. Other catalog number or object name.

Other names can be placed in the ob_other template field.

Example:

M51 is also known as NGC 5194 and the Whirlpool Galaxy.

Using the priority list, the primary article name will be M51.
The other names will be reported in the ob_other field.

Naming Messier Objects

Messier's list of objects are simply numbered. The object is usually designated as the number on Messier's list with the letter "M" in front of the number. To simplify searches, the convention for this project will be to have the capital letter "M" followed immediately by the number with no intervening whitespace so: M51 not M 51

Naming NGC Objects

Dreyer's New General Catalog is also a numbered list. For purposes of this project, items with an NGC designation will be identified with the capital letters "NGC" followed by a single space then the NGC number. Thus: NGC 1979 not NGC1979

See Also

Time and number conventions