A PRIMARY schoolgirl's suggestion has been shortlisted to be the name a far away newly discovered star or exoplanet named after it.

To celebrate 100 years of the IAU ( International Astronomical Union), countries from over the world have had the opportunity to put forward their suggestions of names for newly discovered stars and exoplanets.

A panel of judges in the UK have looked at more than 1,000 different suggestions and names from a pupil at Garrett Hall Primary School, Astley have been shortlisted in the last 10 in the country.

There will now be a public vote over the next two weeks to decide the final names that are chosen.

The planet is currently named WASP- 13b , and it orbits the star WASP -13. However, the suggestion put forward by Emily Wild Y5 of Garrett Hall Primary School is that the names Elan and Galloway are used in their place.

These names have been chosen as they are the names of two designated dark sky parks of the country where the stars are at their most visible at night.

Galloway forest lies in the county of Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland and Elan is in the dark sky park of mid-Wales.

“As part of our Earth and Space project, all of our year fives put forward amazing suggestions for the names of these planets," said Emily's class teacher Nick Parr.

"We would be extremely proud if Emily’s was chosen. It would be amazing to think that in years to come people living on Galloway or Elan will remember Emily and Garrett Hall.”

Anyone who would like to register their vote can do so (without leaving any personal information) at the exoworld.co.uk.

Voting closes on December 2.