So what will the name be for this new (supposed) tenth planet?

So all the planets are named for Roman gods or goddesses. I’m curious what this will be. Apollo, Minerva, Juno and Vulcan are left. And who decides this sort of thing anyway? Link

Planet Lila is as good a bet as any for the big one:

The future name of 2003 EL61 is harder to divine.

In a lot of science fiction literature, the name Persephone shows up for the tenth planet.

Except of course in Mostly Harmless, wherein it is renamed “Rupert” after an astronomer’s pet parrot.

I was thinking about that too since of course it would fit nicely with Pluto. The problem is Persephone is Greek. The Roman equivalent is Prosperina which isn’t nearly as well known. All of the other planets are named for major Roman deities so I don’t know if it would be too likely the IAU would deviate from this pattern.

Neither Saturn nor Uranus are particularly well-known Roman gods so Prosperina wouldn’t be the only obscurely named planet if it were to be used.

People don’t want planets named after hungry Greek broads!!

:slight_smile:

Hollywood

Apollo is associated with the Moon so that can’t be it. At one time there was a hypothosis that there was a planet inside the orbit of Mercury and it was to be called Vulcan, an appropriate name for a hot planet. I’m betting on a female name.

Haj

Apollo is associated with the sun, his sister Diana was the moon goddess.
-Lil

From that link:

It won’t happen, of course.

The naming body is the International Astronomical Union. They first will debate whether these new bodies - there are three - will be called planets or not. If they are then the IAU will debate names. They almost certainly will come from Roman mythology like the others.

Dang websites, with their updates.

The 44 degree tilt of 2003UB313’s orbit from the ecliptic makes Discordia a fitting name.

Or we can take a hint from Robert Anton Wilson in Schrodinger’s Cat and call it Goofy :smiley:

I believe it’s spelled Proserpina, by the way.

An article in a recent newspaper article said it had already been named. The name is scheduled for release soon.
Good guessing to all in the meantime. :slight_smile:

Actually:[ul][li]Apollo[/li][li]Aurora[/li][li]Bellona[/li][li]Bona Dea[/li][li]Consus[/li][li]Cupid[/li][li]Diana [/li][li]Egeria[/li][li]Faunus[/li][li]Felicitas[/li][li]Flora[/li][li]Fontus[/li][li]Fornax[/li][li]Fortuna[/li][li]Juno [/li][li]Juturna[/li][li]Liber[/li][li]Minerva[/li][li]Oneiroi[/li][li]Ops[/li][li]Pales[/li][li]Pax[/li][li]Picus[/li][li]Pomona[/li][li]Proserpina[/li][li]Quirinus[/li][li]Salus[/li][li]Silvanus[/li][li]Somnus[/li][li]Tellus[/li][li]Vertumnus[/li][li]Vulcan[/li][/ul]At one point in Roman history, Qurinus was considered third in importance behind Jupiter and Mars. I’m sure some of these names are already used for moons or small bodies, though.

NY Times

I say let’s name it Priapus

Juno and Apollo are already names of asteroid families. Besides, Apollo would just be wrong wrong wrong for something that takes 3400 years to move around the sun.

How interesting. A Roman God 'Earth?" :rolleyes:

The body/organization is known as the International Astronomical Union. :slight_smile:
The proposed name has been submitted, but not made public, by Michael Brown at Cal. Inst. Tech. Action has not yet been taken.

With a 40 degree tilt and an orbital period of 3,400 years, perhaps Bacchus would be suitable?