# So what will the name be for this new (supposed) tenth planet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 30, 2005, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841 "2005-07-30T02:40:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/1 "2005-07-30T02:40:24Z")
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](http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/30/science/30planet.html?hp&ex=1122696000&en=8500b2cc7e8e63c0&ei=5094&partner=homepage) ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/2 "2005-07-30T03:09:31Z")
[Planet Lila](http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/planetlila/index.html) is as good a bet as any for the big one: > [@](#): > > The planet, with the current temporary name 2003UB313, was discovered in an ongoing survey at Palomar Observatory’s Samuel Oschin telescope by astronomers Mike Brown (Caltech), Chad Trujillo (Gemini Observatory), and David Rabinowitz (Yale University). We have proposed a name to the IAU and will announce it when that name is accepted. The future name of [2003 EL61](http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/2003EL61/) is harder to divine. ---
**Author:** ![Sans\_Seraph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Sans\_Seraph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sans_Seraph)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/3 "2005-07-30T03:59:27Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/4 "2005-07-30T04:16:17Z")
> [@Phosphor](#): > > In a lot of science fiction literature, the name Persephone shows up for the tenth planet. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/5 "2005-07-30T04:27:49Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/6 "2005-07-30T12:09:47Z")
> [@Phosphor](#): > > In a lot of science fiction literature, the name Persephone shows up for the tenth planet. People don’t want planets named after hungry Greek broads!! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/7 "2005-07-30T12:38:10Z")
Hollywood ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/8 "2005-07-30T13:32:52Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/9 "2005-07-30T15:10:21Z")
Apollo is associated with the sun, his sister Diana was the moon goddess. -Lil ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/10 "2005-07-30T15:10:30Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > [Planet Lila](http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/planetlila/index.html) is as good a bet as any for the big one: From that link: > [@](#): > > I must warn you that that is really just a sentimental dad’s early morning naming of a web site for his three week old daughter and one should not take it too seriously! It won’t happen, of course. The naming body is the [International Astronomical Union](http://www.iau.org/). 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. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/11 "2005-07-30T15:24:26Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > From that link: Dang websites, with their updates. The 44 degree tilt of 2003UB313’s orbit from the ecliptic makes Discordia a fitting name. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/12 "2005-07-30T15:35:59Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > 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 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/13 "2005-07-30T17:18:26Z")
I believe it’s spelled [Proserpina](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proserpina), by the way. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/14 "2005-07-30T17:30:43Z")
> [@Kolak of Twilo](#): > > 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](http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/30/science/30planet.html?hp&ex=1122696000&en=8500b2cc7e8e63c0&ei=5094&partner=homepage) 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. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/15 "2005-07-30T17:48:10Z")
> [@Kolak of Twilo](#): > > Apollo, Minerva, Juno and Vulcan are left. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/16 "2005-07-30T18:59:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Informally, the astronomers have been calling it **Xena** after the television series about a Greek warrior princess, which was popular when the astronomers began their systematic sweep of the sky in 2000. “Because we always wanted to name something Xena,” Dr. Brown said. [NY Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/30/science/30planet.html?hp&ex=1122696000&en=8500b2cc7e8e63c0&ei=5094&partner=homepage) ---
**Author:** ![priapus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@priapus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/priapus)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/17 "2005-07-30T19:03:16Z")
I say let’s name it Priapus ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/18 "2005-07-30T19:07:42Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/19 "2005-07-30T19:45:13Z")
> [@Kolak of Twilo](#): > > So all the planets are named for Roman gods or goddesses. How interesting. A Roman God 'Earth?" :rolleyes: > [@Kolak of Twilo](#): > > And who decides this sort of thing anyway? The body/organization is known as the International Astronomical Union. 🙂 The proposed name has been submitted, but not made public, by Michael Brown at Cal. Inst. Tech. Action has not yet been taken. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841/20 "2005-07-30T20:00:51Z")
With a 40 degree tilt and an orbital period of 3,400 years, perhaps **Bacchus** would be suitable? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-the-name-be-for-this-new-supposed-tenth-planet/314841.md?page=2)