# Pluto has two newly discoverd moons!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 1, 2005, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-has-two-newly-discoverd-moons/328842 "2005-11-01T02:36:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-has-two-newly-discoverd-moons/328842/21 "2005-11-01T13:33:12Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > [Pluto has three moons?](http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/10/31/pluto.moons.reut/index.html) > > Wow! > > All I can say is, Wow! > > Do you realize how infinitesimally small they would be from the Earth? Yikes! :eek: It does blow my mind that we can spot a 30 mile wide object from that far away. I like the idea of calling it Xenu. Then we can send all the Scientologists there. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-has-two-newly-discoverd-moons/328842/22 "2005-11-01T13:54:23Z")
Howsa 'bout we name one of them “Yuggoth”? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-has-two-newly-discoverd-moons/328842/23 "2005-11-01T15:05:43Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Howsa 'bout we name one of them “Yuggoth”? Heh! I remember that short story… ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-has-two-newly-discoverd-moons/328842/24 "2005-11-01T19:34:45Z")
Just because I’m all giggly about having an inside scoop: A colleague of mine has been in email contact with Alan Stern, and he says that picking names might be a bit premature. Recieving a preliminary designation like S/2005 P2 & S/2005 P3 is no guarantee that these things are real. They need to be monitored to confirm that they are actual objects orbiting Pluto. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-has-two-newly-discoverd-moons/328842/25 "2005-11-01T19:45:21Z")
Dante and Cerberus get my vote–Persephone, not so much. How big are the moons–larger than Charon? ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-has-two-newly-discoverd-moons/328842/26 "2005-11-01T19:55:43Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Eh. Iapetus was a centaur. Amalthea was a goat or cow (stories conflict). Amalthea was a nymph, at least in some stories. And a centaur is a huminoid (sorta, kinda, maybe?, well at least more huminoid then a three headed dog). ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-has-two-newly-discoverd-moons/328842/27 "2005-11-01T20:01:18Z")
> [@Kythereia](#): > > How big are the moons–larger than Charon? Much smaller, 30-100 miles in diameter according to the article. Also from the article: > [@CNN](#): > > If confirmed by the International Astronomical Union, they will get official names based on classical mythology, joining Pluto’s moon Charon, which is named for the ferryman of the dead. So I think Dante, Virgil, Perceivil and Dracula (Dang!) are out. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-has-two-newly-discoverd-moons/328842/28 "2005-11-01T20:06:51Z")
> [@Kythereia](#): > > Dante and Cerberus get my vote–Persephone, not so much. > > How big are the moons–larger than Charon? Much smaller 30 to 100 mile diameters is what the article said. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-has-two-newly-discoverd-moons/328842/29 "2005-11-01T20:08:53Z")
How about Persephone and Hecate? ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-has-two-newly-discoverd-moons/328842/30 "2005-11-01T20:13:13Z")
> [@jrfranchi](#): > > Much smaller 30 to 100 mile diameters is what the article said. My bad. Thanks, all. 🙂 Mythological names? But–but–but Dante is so _cool_-sounding! _sniffles_ ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-has-two-newly-discoverd-moons/328842/31 "2005-11-01T23:16:24Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Xena is the unofficial name, and it seems to be a bit of a joke. You can bet your bottom dollar that they’ll come up with something else soon. Let’s hope so, I’m _not_ holding my breath, however. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-has-two-newly-discoverd-moons/328842/32 "2005-11-02T01:32:28Z")
Problem with Persephone is that there’s already an asteroid with that name. They used up almost all the good Greek/Roman names on asteroids. If the IAU decides to declare 2003 UB313 (I refuse to call it Xena) a planet, my bet is that it will get called Cerberus, which is still available. I think they’ll go for something lesser-known for Pluto’s new moons. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-has-two-newly-discoverd-moons/328842/33 "2005-11-02T02:10:20Z")
> [@drewbert](#): > > Problem with Persephone is that there’s already an asteroid with that name. They used up almost all the good Greek/Roman names on asteroids. If the IAU decides to declare 2003 UB313 (I refuse to call it Xena) a planet, my bet is that it will get called Cerberus, which is still available. I think they’ll go for something lesser-known for Pluto’s new moons. In keeping with the rest of the planets, it would be more fitting to have a new planet named after another god/goddess. There must still be some god/goddess names left that haven’t been used on asteroids? They already wasted Juno, Ceres and Vesta on asteroids. It might be fun to switch to the Greek names and name the 10th planet Hades. I still think Cerberus would be better suited to a moon of Pluto. Orpheus and Eurydice are another possibility for the moons. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-has-two-newly-discoverd-moons/328842/34 "2005-11-02T04:38:24Z")
I’m of the firm opinion that using up all the good names on asteroids was a big mistake that needs to be undone right now. I think the IAU should declare that planets supercede moons, which supercede asteroids, and that any newly discovered body can be given the name of a body it supercedes, which must then be given a new designation. Who cares what asteroids are called anyway? Just give 'em all numbers! Just to prove the point, I think they should call the tenth planet “the Moon”! If that doesn’t work, nuclear missiles should be sent up to demolish the asteroids, so that their valuable names can be reused. People have been predicting that we’ll someday mine the asteroids anyway. Why not mine them for names? Just think–we’ll be sending nukes into space to mine the heavens for deities. It’s almost poetic! ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-has-two-newly-discoverd-moons/328842/35 "2005-11-02T11:50:30Z")
Pluto is Roman, so to be consistent use Proserpine rather than Persephone. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-has-two-newly-discoverd-moons/328842/36 "2005-11-02T23:24:42Z")
How about we ditch the name Charon, and call the moons of Pluto Cerberus A, Cerberus B, and Cerberus C? Or, if we keep the name Charon, we can call one of the moons Cerberus and the other Fluffy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pluto-has-two-newly-discoverd-moons/328842.md?page=1)