# What should we call the new ninth planet? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 20, 2016, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710 "2016-01-20T21:59:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/61 "2016-01-21T16:48:02Z")
The tricky thing with serious names is that most of the good ones have already been used for asteroids. And there’s no possible way this could be the tenth planet. Under the current definitions, it’s the ninth, and under the old definitions, it’s at least the eleventh. If we let Pluto back in, then we have to accept Eris, too. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/62 "2016-01-21T17:09:15Z")
I saw where there is a movement afoot to name the Moon. I vote for “Buzz”, although songwriters are going to have a tough time with that. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/63 "2016-01-21T18:05:33Z")
Nonomundus. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/64 "2016-01-21T18:32:15Z")
[quote=“Chronos, post:61, topic:743710”] And there’s no possible way this could be the tenth planet. Under the current definitions, it’s the ninth, and under the old definitions, it’s at least the eleventh.QUOTE] The OP agrees with you – the thread title refers to it as the new ninth planet. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/65 "2016-01-21T19:02:02Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The tricky thing with serious names is that most of the good ones have already been used for asteroids. Has Persephone been used? ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e47774/32.png) [@quiltguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/66 "2016-01-21T19:08:37Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > Myanus, so school boys we could have a whole new line of jokes - “No probe is going to Myanus, we’re sending it to Uranus instead!”. How about Ouranus instead? It does belong to us, doesn’t it? ---
**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:** [January 21, 2016, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/67 "2016-01-21T19:14:52Z")
When William Heschel looked for a name for the new planet he’d discovered – the first since the days of the Classical Greeks and Romans – he wanted tio call it “George”\*. I say we give it another shot. Granted, Herschel was just sucking up to his King and Royal Benefactor, George III of Great Britain, but I think we should use it anyway, without specifying who it’s taken from. Americans can imagine (as suggested above) that it’s from George Washington. But it could be any “George”. What’s more, it frees planets from the tyranny of being named after gods and other mythological figures, and lets them assume common, every day names. You wouldn’t want to have a beer with Jupiter, but you could see hanging out with George. It also eliminates the question of Where Do We Go From Here? There are LOTS of other names. Once we have George, we can go on to Harry and Fred. We can use women’s names, too. Planet Gladys and Heather. And it’s easy to expand to other cultures. No arguing about whose mythology we’re going to sift through for names – we can have Andre and Vladimir and Akira and Mohan. The planets will be truly for everyone, if anyone can have their name on a planet. \*Actually, _Georgium Sideris_. But it’s just “George” to its friends ---
**Author:** ![Lurking\_Quahog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lurking_quahog/32/21274_2.png) [@Lurking\_Quahog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lurking_Quahog)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/68 "2016-01-21T19:18:46Z")
Waldo ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/69 "2016-01-21T19:25:07Z")
Kunta Kinte ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/70 "2016-01-21T19:29:37Z")
Unobtania ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/71 "2016-01-21T19:36:50Z")
Maradonia ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/72 "2016-01-21T19:39:43Z")
How about Jocelyn? Jocelyn Bell Burnell should’ve gotten the Nobel prize for discovering pulsars. Having a planet named after her would be a dandy consolation prize. ---
**Author:** ![Richey84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Richey84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richey84)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/73 "2016-01-21T19:52:55Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I saw where there is a movement afoot to name the Moon. I vote for “Buzz”, although songwriters are going to have a tough time with that. “When the buzz hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore.” That works! ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/74 "2016-01-21T19:55:20Z")
lets name it after eddie bravo ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/75 "2016-01-21T20:09:56Z")
> [@Richey84](#): > > “When the Moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s Buzz.” Doesn’t grab me! 😛 Borrowing from Prof. Farnsworth, call it Urectum. ---
**Author:** ![Abner\_Ravenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Abner\_Ravenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abner_Ravenwood)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/76 "2016-01-21T20:33:13Z")
Planet Ogo. That way we can join the intellectual elite and prepare to subjugate the barbarian hordes on Pluto. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/77 "2016-01-21T23:53:10Z")
Zarathustra ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/78 "2016-01-22T00:00:45Z")
Ceti Alpha V ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/79 "2016-01-22T01:18:54Z")
Golgafrincham(watch out for joggers)? Magrathea? Krikkit! BELGIUM! 😃 –G! ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710/80 "2016-01-22T01:42:14Z")
Name it Judy. Planet Judy. It has a ring to it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-call-the-new-ninth-planet/743710.md?page=5)