Public Services and Procurement Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Institutional Links

 

Important notice

Writing Tips has been archived and won’t be updated before it is permanently deleted.

For the most up-to-date content, please consult Writing Tips Plus, which combines content from Writing Tips and The Canadian Style. And don’t forget to update your bookmarks!

Search Canada.ca
To begin your search, go to the alphabetical index below and click on the first letter of the word you are searching for.

capitalization: astronomical terms

Capitalize the names of planets and other astronomical bodies and configurations:

  • Venus
  • Alpha Centauri
  • the Great Bear
  • the Milky Way

Exception: Capitalize earth, sun and moon only when they are mentioned in relation to other planets or heavenly bodies:

  • The sun shines brightly.

but

  • Mercury is closer than the Earth to the Sun.

Do not capitalize generic words forming part of the name of a celestial object:

  • Halley’s comet
  • the rings of Saturn