Starwhose

Starwhose is a neologism used in informal astronomy and data-science contexts to denote a star entry whose identification or properties are uncertain across catalogs. The term leverages the possessive construction of "whose" to emphasize ambiguity rather than identifying a distinct physical class of objects.

Its origin is informal, arising in online discussions and within preprint comments during efforts to reconcile cross-identifications among large surveys such as Gaia, SDSS, and Pan-STARRS. It is not an official category in astronomical nomenclature; rather, it functions as a mnemonic label for cases where a single observed object may correspond to multiple catalog entries.

In practice, a starwhose designation may accompany flags of high astrometric or photometric uncertainty, conflicting coordinates, or ambiguous cross-matches. Researchers may annotate data with "starwhose" to indicate a need for follow-up observations, higher-resolution imaging, or more stringent cross-matching criteria. The term is occasionally used in teaching to illustrate catalog-completeness challenges.

Because starwhose is not standardized, its meaning varies between projects, and it lacks formal criteria. When used, it should be accompanied by explicit definitions in a data release or manuscript to avoid confusion with established categories such as variable stars, binary systems, or unclassified detections.

See also: astronomical catalog cross-identification, astrometric uncertainty, Gaia mission, data provenance, cross-matching.