A rabbit and a Rembrandt painting make Dutch shortlist to name a planet

Children’s book character Nijntje (Miffy) and Nachtwacht (night watch) after the Rembrandt painting are two of the suggestions on the shortlist as potential names for a planet and a star, which currently go by the monikers HAT-P-6b and HAT-P-6.

The shortlist was put together by Dutch astronomers on the basis of 6,000 suggestions by the public. The competition to name a new batch of stars and planets is part of the  International Astronomy Union’s centenary celebrations.

In total, 115 different countries have been allowed to name a planet, which is part of an initiative to ‘create awareness of our place in the universe’.

The Dutch planet, more than 910 light years away, was discovered in 2007 and is part of the constellation of Andromeda, orbiting the star HAT-P-6.

Voting has now opened to determine the Dutch names. The full shortlist – many of which will be very hard for astronomers in other countries to pronounce – is made up of:

• Brandaris/Vuurduin, after lighthouses
• Nachtwacht/Sterrennacht after works by Rembrandt and Van Gogh
• Cruquius/Leeghwater after water engingeers
• Nijntje/Moederpluis after the Dick Bruna characters
• Exomma/Hurstrga after Batavian goddesses.

Voting closes at the end of October.

The IAU rules are strict and the planet can only be named after a person if they have been dead for 100 years. The name must not have strong religious or political connotations or be offensive.

There are already two asteroids named after Dutchmen – Andrekuipers after the astronaut and Benferinga after the chemist and Nobel Prize winner.