Posted on 08/02/2005 4:19:06 PM PDT by Nachum
PARIS (AFP) - Should it be named after a Greek or Roman god? A great scientist or artist? How about calling it after a character in the "Star Wars" film series? Or your best friend?
The British magazine New Scientist has called on readers to help suggest a name for the solar system's 10th planet, whose discovery was announced last week by a team led by US astronomer Mike Brown of the California Institute of Technology.
The new world has been given the provisional designation of 2003 UB313.
But Brown has 10 years in which to think of a catchier name and have it approved by a panel of the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
Brown, a fan of TV's Warrior Princess, has given the informal name of Xena to 2003 UB313, a frozen orb some 15 billion kilometres (nine billion miles) from Earth, New Scientist said on its website (www.newscientistspace.com) on Tuesday.
"But that was our tongue-in-cheek internal name, never intended for public consumption," Brown told the magazine.
Under the IAU's nomenclature guidelines, names should be pronounceable, non-offensive, 16 characters or less in length and preferably one word.
Names should not be too similar to an existing name of a minor planet or natural planetary satellite.
In addition, names for persons or events known primarily for their military or political activities are acceptable only after 100 years have elapsed since the person died or the event occurred.
Commercial names are not allowed, and the names of pet animals are discouraged.
If nomenclature guidelines call for non-offensive names whats with "Uranus"?
"Planet Bob gets my vote."
Oh, give me some SLACK!
Tatooine?
Kronos?
Naming it after my Dad? That's sweet of ya.
He *is* one of the coolest guys I know, though.
I was leaning toward "Ronald Reagan", but I'm with you, it has always been known as Planet X, even when we didn't know for sure it was there, and since X is the Roman Numeral for ten and this is the tenth planet, it is only fitting.
* They named the icy island "Greenland" to encourage settlement, and named the green island "Iceland" so no one would want to settle there and they could keep it for themselves.
Mike Brown and his team of astronomers have been calling the planet "Xena":
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/3288636
10. Planet Holywood
9. Your Anus
8.Daily
7.Bill Gates
6.Planet Evil...for Doctor Evil.
5.Of the APES.
4. 10th Rock from the sun
3.BOB
2.WHAT...from "what" planet are you from
And the number one name in the running for the new planet.......
.
.
.ORK.
Not a bad idea, but Pluto has already been honored. This one should be named Goofy.
Xenu?
Nah, they probably just like young women, in skimpy studded leather outfits, wielding swords!
I was thinking "Funkytown," but yours is good too.
Excellent point! Make that: Planet Goofy.
LOL!
I can't believe you haven't shown up on this thread, or any of the other "new plant" threads! It seems someone ought to have pinged you to this! I would have done so earlier, but I just found out about this name possibility.
I'm off to Sterling Renaissance Festival today... toodles.
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