# Our Moon **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 25, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486 "2003-10-25T14:23:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![parkmooor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@parkmooor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parkmooor)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/1 "2003-10-25T14:23:35Z")
Jupiter has names for its Moons. What is the name of our Moon ? ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/2 "2003-10-25T14:25:53Z")
Our moon is named Luna (the root for words such as lunatic and lunacy). ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/3 "2003-10-25T14:27:52Z")
And welcome to the SDMB, **parkmore**! ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/4 "2003-10-25T14:38:50Z")
The earth’s satellite is the Moon (with a capital M). Jupiter doesn’t have “ **M** oons”, it has “ **m** oons” or “natural satellites”. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/5 "2003-10-25T17:09:51Z")
To hear the Moon’s true name, you’ll need to enlist the help of a pack of wolves. Unfortunately this name cannot be pronounced by humans, nor does it transliterate very well in the Latin alphabet. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/6 "2003-10-25T18:00:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bytegeist \* > \*\*To hear the Moon’s true name, you’ll need to enlist the help of a pack of wolves. > > Unfortunately this name cannot be pronounced by humans, nor does it transliterate very well in the Latin alphabet. \*\* But can you dance to it? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/7 "2003-10-25T18:01:59Z")
Larry. ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/8 "2003-10-25T18:04:57Z")
I normally call it Selwyn- after my father. It has a nice ring to it . V ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/9 "2003-10-25T22:36:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Vetch \* > **I normally call it Selwyn- after my father. It has a nice ring to it .** I’m pretty sure from your description that you’re actually thinking about Saturn, not the Earth’s moon. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/10 "2003-10-26T00:18:39Z")
Welcome, **parkmooor**! 🙂 I hope you get your keyboard fixed! The “o” key is stuck! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_B.Phart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Capt\_B.Phart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_B.Phart)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/11 "2003-10-26T03:38:48Z")
[“Tha Moooon”](http://www.rathergood.com/moon_song/) ---
**Author:** ![Sock\_Munkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Sock\_Munkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_Munkey)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/12 "2003-10-26T04:06:05Z")
Calling our moon “The Moon” seems a little egocentric to me. ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/13 "2003-10-26T04:13:56Z")
Our moon has been **the** moon for most of our existance. It seems a bit silly to rename it just because we suddenly realize that it’s not unique. I shall call it Bob. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/14 "2003-10-26T04:21:06Z")
I will call it George. Give me TWO things that is a reference to, and you can spend Friday Evening with me. (Provided you are a young lady) ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/15 "2003-10-26T04:44:29Z")
Don’t forget **Selene**. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/16 "2003-10-26T04:48:39Z")
I used to have a friend named George but he don’t move no more. I call him George because I can’t say Sylvester. link I forgot to add: [Selene](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=selene) ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/17 "2003-10-26T06:29:43Z")
“I will call him George, and I will hug him and stroke him…” ---
**Author:** ![Not\_In\_Anger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ab097/32.png) [@Not\_In\_Anger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_In_Anger)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/18 "2003-10-26T06:30:58Z")
It is not our moon. It is the moon. Welcome to the board and that was a superb question. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/19 "2003-10-26T07:10:17Z")
According to proper grammar, the Moon should NOT be capitalized. The only time I have noticed it as such is in astronomy publications. Being an amateur astronomer, I happen to capitalize it and I also feel that this should be the rule for ALL usages. (The same applies for the Sun too). ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486/20 "2003-10-26T07:13:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sock Munkey \* > \*\*Calling our moon “The Moon” seems a little egocentric to me. \*\* Why? It’s our language. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-moon/209486.md?page=2)