Editing Astronomical naming conventions (section)

{{Short description|Systematic designations to unambiguously identify astronomical objects}}
In ancient times, only the [[Sun]] and [[Moon]], a few [[star]]s, and the most easily visible [[planet]]s had names. Over the last few hundred years, the number of identified [[astronomical object]]s has risen from hundreds to over a billion, and more are discovered every year. [[Astronomer]]s need to be able to assign systematic designations to unambiguously identify all of these objects, and at the same time give names to the most interesting objects, and where relevant, features of those objects.

The [[International Astronomical Union]] (IAU) is the recognized authority in [[astronomy]] for assigning designations to celestial bodies such as stars, planets, and [[minor planet]]s, including any surface features on them. In response to the need for unambiguous names for astronomical objects, it has created a number of [[systematic name|systematic naming]] systems for objects of various sorts.