Can you name a place on Mars?
Obiblion · updated
Not an official one. Names of real features on Mars (craters, valleys, mountains) are decided by the International Astronomical Union, and individuals can't buy or request them. What you can do is name a place in a model of Mars, such as a digital parcel, and say plainly that it's a gift and not a map change.
Who names the places on Mars
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is the body recognised worldwide for naming planets, moons and their surface features. Its Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature approves every official name, following published rules for each kind of feature.
On Mars the rules are specific. Large craters are named after deceased scientists and writers who contributed to the study of Mars, and small craters after small towns on Earth. Valleys, plains and mountains follow their own themes. Names are proposed through the IAU process, not sold.
Why paid ‘name a crater’ offers aren't official
Some websites sell the right to ‘name’ a crater or a region of Mars. Those names are recorded in the seller's own list. The IAU does not recognise them, and they never appear on official maps or in scientific papers.
That doesn't make them worthless as keepsakes, but the wording matters. A good seller says plainly that the name is symbolic. If the page implies a name will be ‘registered’ or ‘recognised’ without saying by whom, treat it with caution.
What mission teams do
Teams working with rovers often give informal nicknames to rocks, hills and outcrops so they can talk about them. Those names are working labels inside a mission and are not official.
The same distinction applies to you: a name can be meaningful without being official, as long as everyone is clear about which one it is.
A place on Mars that is named for you, honestly
Obiblion models the Solar System in 3D and divides each planet into hexagonal parcels with exact coordinates. A parcel on Mars has its own public page where its holder can add a name and a dedication, for example for a person, a date or a promise.
It is a digital parcel and not land, and it doesn't change any real map of Mars. What it gives you is a specific place, with coordinates you can read and a page you can share, which is what most people looking to ‘name something on Mars’ really want.
Questions
Can I name a crater on Mars after myself?
Not officially. The IAU assigns names to real features and has rules for each type; there is no purchase route. Symbolic names sold online are not recognised by the IAU.
Who decides the names of places on Mars?
The International Astronomical Union, through its Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature.
Is naming a parcel on Obiblion an official name?
No. It is a name on a digital parcel inside Obiblion, shown on that parcel's public page. It is not recognised by the IAU and does not alter any real map.
Can I give a named place on Mars as a gift?
Yes. A parcel can be given as a gift with a message and a chosen moment for the reveal, as long as it's described honestly as a digital parcel.