via The Irrawaddy, 09 January 2020: Myanmar has named a planet after its most famous cultural heritage property, Bagan. I wonder if this is the first time an exoplanet has been named after an archaeological site.
A planet and a star 553 light-years away from Earth have been officially named after Bagan, the ancient Myanmar city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Ayeyarwady, Myanmar’s largest river. This is the first time that Myanmar has named a star or a planet.
…
Myanmar’s exoplanet, Bagan, revolves around HD18742, a gas giant which is now named Ayeyarwady. The exoplanet has a mass 3.4 times that of Jupiter and takes over two years to complete an orbit of Ayeyarwady. They were discovered in 2011 in the constellation Eridanus, according to the Myanmar Astronomy and Science Enthusiasts Society (MASES).
Source: Myanmar Christens Star ‘Ayeyarwady’ and Planet ‘Bagan’
