By Chien Hui-ju and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwanese astronomers who named an exoplanet and the star it orbits have been listed as being from “China Taipei” by the Paris-based International Astronomical Union (IAU), the Astronomical Society of the Republic of China (ASROC) said on Friday. The IAU said the designation was the result of discussions it held in 1979 with Chinese authorities, which concluded with Chinese astronomers working under the title “China Nanjing” and Taiwanese astronomers as “China Taipei.”After it announced its intent to participate in the event and opened up entries to Taiwanese astronomers, ASROC received 128 submissions, which received 6,101 votes, it said, adding that it chose the winning entry last month. Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics director Chu You-hua (朱有花) said this was the first time Taiwanese astronomers had named an exoplanet, and it was a proud moment for Taiwanese that the nation’s name could spread to the far reaches of the universe. Recounting the history of Taiwan’s title at the IAU, Chu said the Republic of China joined it in 1935, but after China joined in 1959 as the People’s of Republic of China conflicts arose over two “China” member countries within the organization. “This name we are listed as now was hard won, and affords Taiwanese astronomers a legal basis for participation,” she said, stressing that on the IAU’s Web site, Taiwan is placed under the category titled “national members.”
