Last week, NASA asked Internet users to name seven newly discovered planets in the Trappist-1 system. The agency published this request on its official Twitter account.
The stream of tweets under the hashtag # 7NamesFor7NewPlanets was quite interesting to read. While some netizens drew inspiration from popular influences – like the seven Harry Potter novels, Apple's iPhone series, popular characters from Game of Thrones, or Friends – most of the suggestions were ironic.
Currently, NASA employees are reflecting on the stream of messages received, but you can also participate in the solution by posting your own variants of the names of the 7 planets with the hashtag # 7NamesFor7NewPlanets.
The discovery of the Trappist-1 system sets a new record for the largest number of habitable planets around a single star outside our solar system.
'This discovery could be an essential piece in the puzzle of finding habitable environments, places where life can begin. The answer to the question 'Are we alone?' is one of the top priorities of science and finding so many planets in a habitable zone is a significant step towards achieving this goal, 'said Thomas Zurbuchen, Assistant Administrator, NASA Science Missions Office in Washington