Can You Name the Comets You Discover? An Astrophysicist Explains

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Welcome! My name is Phil, and in this video, I'll explain how comets are named and if a comet gets to take the discoverers name.
When you hear about a new comet being discovered or a bright comet visible in the sky, you might notice that it can have either a name or a code.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) approved the current naming system in 1994. This system results in a code-like name composed of letters and numbers, such as C/2022 E3. The first letter indicates the type of comet, the middle number represents the year of discovery, the final letter denotes the half-month of discovery, and the number indicates the order of discovery within that half-month. For example, C/2022 E3 is a non-periodic comet discovered in the first half of March 2022, and it was the third comet discovered in that period.
In addition to the coded names, the IAU often assigns names to comets, usually after their discoverer.