ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Proper names (astronomy)

When we look up at the sky at night, we see lots of shiny dots that we call stars. Some stars are really bright and some are not so bright. Astronomers like to give names to the different stars and other things in space so that it's easier to talk about them.

These names are called proper names. They are like the names we give to our friends and family. Just like how you have a different name from your friend, each star has its own unique proper name.

Some proper names come from ancient stories or legends. For example, one bright star is called Sirius, which comes from a story about a dog. Another famous proper name is Polaris, which is also known as the "North Star" because it helps people find their way when they're lost.

But not all stars have proper names that are easy to pronounce. Sometimes, astronomers give stars numbers and letters to make it easier to talk about them. For example, the star Proxima Centauri is too far away to see without a special telescope, so astronomers give it a code to help them remember which star they are talking about.

In summary, proper names in astronomy are like nicknames for stars and other objects in space, so that astronomers can talk about them more easily. Some proper names come from ancient stories, while others are given codes to help remember them.