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.
Have a blast and let me know how much fun it was! (We started rehearsal yesterday!)
Ok- they've tried to UNplanet Pluto, right? And the planet-ness of these three is already controversial...so...
they should be called " MaybePlanet 1, II & III". That way there will be no future controversy.
I'm sorry- if it's round and has its own orbit around a star, its a planet. If it is round and goes around a planet its a moon. If it's irregular shaped and orbits a star ,its an asteroid.
I've always thought it highly arrogant to name a planet you do not reside upon anyway. I mean, how would we feel to hear that residents of other planets have a disgusting, or derogatory name for Earth? We're just lucky there haven't been any Martians who would tie up the courts with defamation suits.
I have no problem with Yaf, but there wasn't a planet Yaf in Star Wars-A New Hope. That was YAVIN.
If we're going to go Star Wars( why not!) how about Hoth? It's cold enough out there. It's even a mythological name, I believe.
SW and SW-ANH are one and the same.
The rebel base was on the fourth moon of Yavin. I'm glad you were pleased nonetheless.
How about WOT as a name for this new planet?
Way Out There. We could use it with numbers for any others they find too!
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...I would sell the naming rights to the highest bidder.
Of course if Volturnus is chosen, Star Frontiers Fans everywhere will be overjooyed.
"Professor, how far away is Pluto?'
"Well, it must be at least a thousand miles away."
From Outer Space Looters by The Mad Martians,
Satellite Records #33617 (45 rpm sound disc), 1957.
She had us all saying BOB this, BOB that, the rest of the night as my son, BOB, sat quietly with a BIG smile on his face.
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