# OK, what would you name 2003 UB313 (Xena)? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 25, 2006, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261 "2006-08-25T22:12:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2006, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/1 "2006-08-25T22:12:28Z")
Now that the dwarf planet 2003 UB313 has been knocked off the major planets list, there may not be such a snit about its name. Its discoverer nicknamed it Xena, because it was big enough to evoke the name “Planet X,” but he didn’t just name it himself, because it _was_ big enough to evoke the name “Planet X.” (Small asteroids often _are_ named after random people or fictional characters.) Well, it’s not going to be Proserpina, get over it. The Olympian pantheon is pretty well tapped for names. I vote for keeping it “Xena” just because that’s well-known as its name now. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2006, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/2 "2006-08-25T22:49:05Z")
Steve. It’d be cool to have a planet named Steve… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/3 "2006-08-26T00:56:12Z")
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: [Unicron.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicron) Naming a planet after a god who _is_ a planet, how convenient! ---
**Author:** ![Arch\_Trout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9f8e36/32.png) [@Arch\_Trout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arch_Trout)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/4 "2006-08-26T01:08:34Z")
‘Bill’ or ‘George’, anything but Xena. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/5 "2006-08-26T01:15:54Z")
[QUOTE=Arch Trout] ‘Bill’ or ‘George’, anything but Xena. [/QUOTE] How about Sue? I’m fine with Xena. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/6 "2006-08-26T01:16:21Z")
Considering there are a few more dwarf planets out there (at least 7 of them), let’s name the first one Dopey. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/7 "2006-08-26T01:44:53Z")
Since it would be the tenth planet, [Mondas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondas_(Doctor_Who)). ---
**Author:** ![Arch\_Trout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9f8e36/32.png) [@Arch\_Trout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arch_Trout)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/8 "2006-08-26T02:09:33Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] How about Sue? I’m fine with Xena. [/QUOTE] Definitely not Sue! I’m also fine with Xena, plus it means that those that don’t like it can call it ‘Planet X’ 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/9 "2006-08-26T02:19:10Z")
My friend had a cat named Steve… ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/10 "2006-08-26T02:27:23Z")
I suspect Xena is going to be the name by default, mostly because a) it’s short, and 2) Everyone is already using it. If they want to change it, they will have to officially announce a real name, and soon. Five years may be too late. ---
**Author:** ![IntelInside](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a5b964/32.png) [@IntelInside](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IntelInside)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/11 "2006-08-26T04:07:03Z")
Taint. If there can be a planet named Uranus, there can be a planet named Taint. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/12 "2006-08-26T04:16:09Z")
[QUOTE=IntelInside] Taint. If there can be a planet named Uranus, there can be a planet named Taint. [/QUOTE] No, Craig Ferguson has already declared that Pluto is a PlanetTaint. “It’s near Uranus, it ain’t Uranus, it ain’t a planet…” I think Taint may be the new category term for plutons? ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/13 "2006-08-26T05:08:10Z")
[Poliahu](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poliahu). Lots of good names in Hawaiian mythology. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/14 "2006-08-26T05:45:37Z")
Tapped out? Greco-Roman mythology is nowhere near tapped out! How 'bout getting some more Goddesses in there, for one! (Poor Venus, sharing the heavens with a bunch of crazy brothers, fathers and great-grandfathers.) Aurora, Bellona, Minerva, and Diana would be lovely, as would Hestia, Hera, Athena and Artemis if we look to the Greek names. But I think those should be kept in reserve for planets, not other celestial bodies. How 'bout [**Alecto**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alecto)? She was a Titan, not a God, formed from the spilled blood of Uranus when Cronus (Saturn) killed him. And it sounds planetish. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/15 "2006-08-26T05:54:05Z")
I know a lot of the Greco-Roman names are used for asteroids and moons and the like so there may be less than you think (although I know there’s probably hundreds of names of minor deities, heros, nymnphs and whatnot). I was happy to hear of a celestial body named Sedna after the Inuit goddess and would rather see other cultures’ mythological names used before something from a TV show. To that end, I say we name it Dzydzilelya after the Polish/Slavic goddess of love and marriage. Who’s with me? Huh? Huh? ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/16 "2006-08-26T05:54:14Z")
Xena is a stupid name from a stupid show and has no business being associated with anything in any official capacity. How about Leviathan? Atlas? Anything that conveys decent size. Xena is entirely inappropriate. If Xena is made the official name I propose the next object be called Huggy Bear. How about Boss Hogg? ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/17 "2006-08-26T07:32:55Z")
[QUOTE=Airman Doors, USAF] How about Boss Hogg? [/QUOTE] Coca-Cola? I kid because I fear. ---
**Author:** ![Bernard\_Marx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@Bernard\_Marx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bernard_Marx)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/18 "2006-08-26T07:40:55Z")
Rupert ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/19 "2006-08-26T10:18:13Z")
What’s wrong with just using 2003 UB313? ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261/20 "2006-08-26T10:36:34Z")
Buffy. Its satellite can be named Xander. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-would-you-name-2003-ub313-xena/370261.md?page=2)