Assuming a cross layer upgrade, any H-star name will be combined with the execution layer name Bogotá in a portmanteau (Portmanteau generator), so any name choice should also consider this.
(Apologies if I am stepping on the process for selecting star upgrade names, I’m not a core dev)
We should probably also evaluate how the portmanteau sounds. Something like Heka + Bogotá → Hekotá has a nice futuristic ring to it. Keeping the name short and pronounceable matters.
I would be careful with the list of names from wikipedia because star names can be different in various registries and some names are not recognized as regularly used names by IAU.
We already made this mistake in Glaos which is hard to find under this name in most registries. Let’s choose a name that’s more widely recognized like stars we did before, ideally something that might be easier to find on the night sky.
Here is a list that mostly overlaps with the wikipedia source but I would take a deeper look into context of each star, whether they are cool enough to be candidates Star Names That Start With H - Little Astronomy
Edit: Accidentally deleted my comment With a quick check in Stellarium, I believe considered stars are recognized with these names, although there are some alternatives.
Also considering observability, my favorite would be Hamal, it should be visible even with a naked eye in the night sky. Helvetios is also good option but only visible with a telescope
Even though the meaning of the star name Helvetios matters, what’s more important is how well it blends with Bogotá.
I think Helvota (Helvetios + Bogotá) sounds really good. It feels smooth, balanced, and easy to pronounce, keeping a touch of the original elegance of Helvetios while fitting naturally with Bogotá.
I would like to request to change the star selected for the fork after Glamsterdam. So far we have always selected name of stars that are officially listed in the Internstional Astronomers Union catalog, which is maintained by a list of scientific members from all accross the globe.
Heka is not in that list, and if we do not follow a minimum standard then we risk ending up with very weird names found in an obscure corner of the internet. Nothing against the name itself, just about the methodology.
Funny enough, all the other names proposed in the OP are in the IAU catalog, Heka is the only impostor in that list.
is likely too late to do that, given All Core Devs selected that name and the Meta EIP has been created.
Well, I don’t agree.
I don’t want to be annoying on this, but if we are still discussing which EIPs go into Glamsterdam or not (which is the real critical part of a fork), I don’t think it is “too late” to correct the name of a hard-fork that might come in 2027.
If you don’t mind I would like to redo the poll with the same list of options, except Heka, and ask core developers to do the vote again.
@leobago you can add it to the ACDC #171 agenda to see if there is interest in choosing a different name to Heka. All Core Devs select the name, the poll is for signaling purposes.
We now have a poll with even more participation than the original one (I have been pinging everyone), so we can go ahead and declare Heze as the winner!
We then have Heze - Bogotá. Here is a list of possible Portmanteaus for the H-fork:
Hezotá
Hezegotá
Bogheze
Hetá
Hezogotá
Bogotaze
Hegotá
To everyone who voted here, please also vote in the Portmanteau ASAP.
From the currently proposed list, these should be visible on northern night sky with naked eye: Haedus, Hamal, Hassaleh, Hatysa, Helvetios, Heze, Homam, Hydor
Stress on the first syllable, with a soft final “uh” sound.
You’ll also sometimes hear a slightly sharper ending (HEH-zeh), but HEH-zuh is the most commonly accepted pronunciation in astronomy.
What star is Heze?
Heze is the traditional name of Zeta Virginis (ζ Vir), a star in the constellation Virgo.
Meaning of the name
The name Heze comes from Arabic:
Original Arabic: الحِزَّة (al-ḥizza)
Meaning: “the corner” or “the angle”
This refers to the star’s position in the outline of the Virgo constellation, marking a “corner” point in the traditional star figure as seen by medieval Arabic astronomers.
Historical context
The name entered European astronomy through medieval Arabic star catalogs, which were later Latinized.
Heze was officially standardized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2017 as the proper name for Zeta Virginis.
Finally, it looks like the Portmanteau will be Hegotá.
Shapella (Shanghai + Capella)
Dencun (Cancun + Deneb)
Pectra (Prague + Electra)
Fusaka (Fulu + Osaka)
With a quick check in Stellarium, I believe considered stars are recognized with these names, although there are some alternatives.
