The heck with the new Pope! Pluto’s had three new cmoons discovered. Hrere’s a chance to actually help determine the new names:
If you’ve ever wanted to leave your mark on the heavens, here’s your chance.
Astronomers are asking for help in naming two newly discovered moons of Pluto, which currently go by the uninspired monikers P4 and P5. The tiny satellites were spotted by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
Pluto’s three other known moons — Charon, Nix and Hydra — are named for Greek mythological characters associated with the underworld. The short list of names that interested members of the public can vote on for the new moons follow that same pattern, researchers said.
“The Greeks were great storytellers, and they have given us a colorful cast of characters to work with,” Mark Showalter, a senior research scientist at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute in Mountain View, Calif., said in a statement.
You can vote to name the moons on plutorocks.com until noon EST (1700 GMT) on Feb. 25. Write-in ballots are also encouraged.
My suggestions:
1.) Yuggoth, Cthulhu, and Nyarlathotep
2.) K.B., Fifi, anfd Junior*
*Pluto had Five pups in two different Disney cartoons, but, AFAIK, they were never named. In other places he had one offspring, named either KB or Pluto, Junior. Fifi was his Pekinese spouse in the 5-pup cartoon.
http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question72125.html&layout=standard&show_faces=false&width=200&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=35
http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oG7iAQPBlR2m0AoH9XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE1dWg4dGFjBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMgRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA1JDRjAzOF8yMDE-/SIG=129n1qtli/EXP=1360637072/**http%3A//www.disneyshorts.org/shorts.aspx%3FshortID=262
lieu
February 11, 2013, 6:53pm
3
Tickle, Jim Tom & Popcorn.
These moons will shine.
1.) Kim, Beyonce, and Betty
2.) Groucho, Harpo, and Chico
3.) Zooey, Kablooey, and Ratatouille
4.) Peepeye, Poopeye, and Papeye
5.) Winken, Blinken, and Nod
6.) Misner, Thorne, and Wheeler
phouka
February 11, 2013, 7:01pm
5
I was going to say Cerebus, but I think “Fluffy” sounds better.
1.) Kennard, Richtmeyer, and Lauritsen
2.) Kukla, Fran, and Ollie
3.) Moe, Larry, and Curley
4.) Moe, Larry, and Shemp
5.) Moe, Larry, and Curley Joe
6.) Moe, Emil, and Curley Joe
7.) Bokko, Nokko, and Pukko
8.) Coil-Man, Fluid-Man, and Multi-Man
Strinka
February 11, 2013, 7:17pm
9
There have only been two new moons discovered. Three had already been known, bringing the total up to five.
Cerberus, Orpheus, and Persephone are already asteroids; the first two are notable Mars-crossers, the last an early-identified main belt. I know that the rules don’t preclude asteroid names doubling up with other objects–it’s still not ideal.
Are they sure they’re moons and not battle stations?
Calibos and Eurydice seem logical, if they’re not already taken too.
Wile_E
February 11, 2013, 9:10pm
14
I really need to get out more. I didn’t even know it had two other known moons. Does this mean Pluto gets to be a planet again? If it’s not a planet then how can it have moons? Wouldn’t they just all be planetoids? Asteroids? Roving gangs of moons?
No. There are at least dozens, and maybe hundreds, of objects in Solar orbit with moons in orbit around them. It has nothing to do with being a planet. For example the main-belt asteroid 22 Kalliope ’s moon is called Linus. 87 Sylvia has two little moons, Romulus and Remus. Pluto’s very distant fellow dwarf planet Eris is orbited by Dysnomia. There are many others, some where both primary and moon just have numbers.
Wile_E
February 11, 2013, 9:49pm
16
Peremensoe:
No. There are at least dozens, and maybe hundreds, of objects in Solar orbit with moons in orbit around them. It has nothing to do with being a planet. For example the main-belt asteroid 22 Kalliope ’s moon is called Linus. 87 Sylvia has two little moons, Romulus and Remus. Pluto’s very distant fellow dwarf planet Eris is orbited by Dysnomia. There are many others, some where both primary and moon just have numbers.
Pfft! You and your damned science logic! I want Pluto to be a planet, dammit!
Klaatu, Borada and Nikto.
3trew
February 11, 2013, 11:25pm
19
The Planet Pluto would be a great name for a moon of Pluto.