Mythology, science combine in place names on Pluto
Up until 2015, there weren't any rules about naming surface features on Pluto because, until recently, none had been clearly seen.
Posted — UpdatedPlanets, moons and other celestial bodies are named according to rules established by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Pluto did not have any rules for naming surface features because, until recently, none had been clearly seen. NASA’s New Horizons team changed that with a fly-by in 2015 which delivered the first close-up views of Pluto and its five moons.
New Horizons revealed a complex, relatively young surface covered with a vast nitrogen glacier as well as mountains, canyons and craters made of ice. This week, the IAU announced acceptance of naming themes for these features proposed by the mission team:
Pluto
- Mythological beings associated with the underworld
- Example: Djanggawul Depression, named for underworld traveler of aboriginal mythology
- Example: Tartarus Ridge, named for the underworld of Greek mythology
- Example: Tombaugh Regio, a region named for Clyde Tombaugh, Pluto’s discoverer
- Example: Voyager Terra, a large land mass named for the interstellar mission
- Example: Norgay Montes, a mountain named for the sherpa who, along with Sir Edmund Hillary, was the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest
Charon (Pluto’s largest moon)
- Dark Spots: Destinations and milestones of fictional space and other exploration
- Examples: Gallifrey (Dr. Who), Mordor (Lord of the Rings)
- Examples: Serenity Chasm (Firefly), Argo (Jason and the Argonauts)
- Examples: Leah Organa (Star Wars), Nemo (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea)
- Examples: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clark
Pluto’s smaller moons
- Styx: River gods
- Nix: Deities of the night
- Kerberos: Dogs from literature, mythology and history
- Hydra: Legendary serpents and dragons
“Imagine the thrill of seeing your name suggestion on a future map of Pluto and its moons,” said Jim Green, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division in Washington.
“We look forward to the next step – submitting actual feature names for approval,” said Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator from Southwest Research Institute, in Boulder, Colo.
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