About galaxy names
Classical star-lore names like "Eridanus Nebula" and "Delta Perseus" alternate with catalog codes such as "NVK 87W" that sound logged by a survey probe. The mythological results suit space opera openings, while the codes fit hard sci-fi navigation charts and ship logs. Give the same galaxy both, an official designation and the name spacers actually use.
How galaxy names are built
Galaxy names build several ways. The commonest form pairs two invented star-words, as in Therion Theledon, Lumen Vorelai and Daven Selindra. Another joins a word to a cosmic noun from a 4-entry bank (Galaxy, Nebula, Cloud, Star System), as in Galveris Star System, Morathon Cloud and Lion's Mane Nebula.
Galveris Star System
a word plus the cosmic noun Star System from the 4-entry bank
Lion's Mane Nebula
a word plus the cosmic noun Nebula from the 4-entry bank
Therion Theledon
two coined star-words paired into a proper name
Naming notes
The two-word forms pair coined star-words drawn from larger banks, while the cosmic-noun forms close on one of four tail nouns. The 4-entry cosmic-noun bank is the small fixed tail. The set fits a galaxy or star-system label.
Questions about galaxy names
- How are galaxy names made?
- Most pair two coined star-words, as in Therion Theledon or Lumen Vorelai; others join a word to a cosmic noun from the 4-entry bank (Galaxy, Nebula, Cloud, Star System), as in Morathon Cloud.
- What is the small 4-entry bank for?
- The 4-entry bank holds the cosmic tail nouns, so it is the fixed ending that closes a named galaxy.
- What is the two-word form for?
- It pairs two coined star-words, as in Daven Selindra, giving an uncharted galaxy a proper name without a category tag, while the cosmic-noun forms carry the labelled systems.