phl@drusd.UUCP (LavettePH) (04/23/85)
>>Actually, I hadn't really considered it, it just occurred to me at the >>time. Now I'm curious. What *is* the distribution of male/female/animal/ >>thing names for stars, planets, constellations, etc? Has anybody paid any >>attention to this rather useless (but vaguely interesting) statistic? >> >> Muffy You really got me into something, Muffy. The following is taken from the RASC's Observer's Handbook and a moldy copy of Hamilton's Mythology. It looks like the solar system breaks down: Males(24) Females(38) Things(0) Un-named(3) Unidendified(18) Sol (Helios) Another name for Apollo, son of Jupiter and Latona Male Mercury Messenger of the gods Male .No satellites (Geographic features named for famous men and) (women in literature and the arts ) Venus Goddess of love Female .No satellites (Geographic features named for famous or mytho-) (logical women ) Terra Mother earth Female .Luna (Selene) (Geographic features on both were named from many ) Female (sources over the centuries - currently, new lunar ) (features are named for famous men and women in the) (sciences ) Mars God of war Male .Phobos Attendant of Mars (Alarm) Male .Deimos Attendant of Mars (Dread) Male Jupiter King of the gods Male .Metis Daughter of Oceanus Female .Adrastea Nymph who attended the infant Zeus Female .Amalthea She-goat who nursed the infant Zeus Female .Thebe .Io Maiden loved by Jupiter and changed to a heiffer Female .Europa Wife of Jupiter Female .Ganymede Trojan prince Male .Callisto Daughter of Lycaon (Changed to the great bear) Female .Leda Mother of Castor and Pollux Female .Himalia .Lysithea .Elara .Ananke .Carme .Pasiphe Mother of the Minotaur, wife of Minos Female .Sinope Saturn God of agriculture Male .Atlas A Titan compelled to carry the earth Male .1980S27 Un-named .1980S26 Un-named .Janus God of portals Male .Epimetheus Father of Pyrrha Male .Mimas .Enceladus One of the Giants Male .Tethys Ocean's wife Female .Telesto .Calypso One of the Nymphs Female .Dione Mother of Aphrodite Female .1980S6 Un-named .Rhea One of the Titanides Female .Titan A race of giant gods overthrown by the Olympians Male .Hyperion A Titan, father of the sun,moon and dawn Male .Iapetus A Titan Male .Phoebe One of the Titanides Female Uranus God of heavens, father of the Titans,Furies,Cyclopes Male .Miranda Prospero's daughter (The Tempest) Female .Ariel Sylph (The Rape of the Lock) Female .Umbriel Sprite (The Rape of the Lock) Female .Titania Oberon's wife (A Midsummer Night's Dream) Female .Oberon King of fairies (A Midsummer Night's Dream) Male Neptune God of the sea Male .Triton A lesser sea god Male .Nereid Any of the 50 daughters of Nereus - the sea nymphs Female Pluto God of the underworld Male .Charon The boatman who carries the dead across Acheron Male ASTERIODS .Ceres Goddess of grains Female .Pallas Son of Evander, died in Trojan war Male .Juno Jupiter's wife Female .Vesta Sister of Zeus Female .Hebe Goddess of youth Female .Iris Goddess of the rainbow Female .Flora Goddess of the flowers Female .Metis One of the Graces (Prudence) eaten by Zeus Female .Hygiea Daughter of Aesculapius, watches over health Female .Parthenope One of the Sirens Female .Egeria Lesser goddess, teacher of King Numa Female .Irene .Eunomia .Psyche Princess loved by Cupid Female .Melpomene Muse of trajedy Female .Massalia .Thalia One of the Graces (Good Cheer) Female .Euterpe One of the Muses (Music) Female .Ampitrite Queen of the sea, wife of Neptune Female .Fides .Laetitia .Ausonia .Julia .Klotho .Vibilia Anybody with a better knowledge of mythology is welcome to correct this. As is anyone who knows the current accepted international conventions. Can anybody fill in the blanks? I'm not going to tackle the starnames in the Milky Way galaxy. My arabic is even worse than my latin. Betelgeuse (arabic for armpit of the giant) is easy because it is Orion's armpit. :-) There are about 200 named stars. If forced, I would score our galaxy: Males (Damn few) Females (Very few) Numbers (~3x10^5) Just there (~9x10^13) If you want to tip the balance, some observatories and planetariums will name a star after you for a small donation. It's one way they raise money. There is no need to rush. There are plenty of stars to go around although many of the better ones are already taken. - Phil
ethan@utastro.UUCP (Ethan Vishniac) (04/24/85)
[] > If you want to tip the balance, some observatories and planetariums will name a > star after you for a small donation. It's one way they raise money. There is > no need to rush. There are plenty of stars to go around although many of the > better ones are already taken. > A brief warning may be in order. I know of no observatory or planetarium which will name a star after someone in return for a donation. There may be some that do it as a gag, *but* only the International Astronomical Union is authorized to name extraterrestrial objects and places (by international treaty). There are some ripoff artists who take peoples' money in exchange for naming stars after the person of your choice. This has no legal standing. If you look at the fine print you will find that what they really do is copyright a catalog which matches the chosen names with NGC numbers. This does not mean that these names become the names of the cataloged stars. It means no one else can copy the catalog with the names (but who would want to?). "Don't argue with a fool. Ethan Vishniac Borrow his money." {charm,ut-sally,ut-ngp,noao}!utastro!ethan Department of Astronomy University of Texas
demillo@uwmacc.UUCP (Rob DeMillo) (05/15/85)
> [] > > If you want to tip the balance, some observatories and planetariums will name a > > star after you for a small donation. It's one way they raise money. There is > > no need to rush. There are plenty of stars to go around although many of the > > better ones are already taken. > > > A brief warning may be in order. I know of no observatory or planetarium which > will name a star after someone in return for a donation. There may be some > that do it as a gag, *but* only the International Astronomical Union is > authorized to name extraterrestrial objects and places (by international > treaty). There are some ripoff artists who take peoples' money in exchange for > naming stars after the person of your choice. This has no legal standing. If > you look at the fine print you will find that what they really do is copyright > a catalog which matches the chosen names with NGC numbers. This does not mean > that these names become the names of the cataloged stars. It means no one > else can copy the catalog with the names (but who would want to?). > > "Don't argue with a fool. Ethan Vishniac > Borrow his money." {charm,ut-sally,ut-ngp,noao}!utastro!ethan > Department of Astronomy > University of Texas Welllllll....... It's not really a gag, and it's not really a rip off, but its also not really naming stars.... I was part of a group installing a planetarium in Northern Minnesota, and what the committee decided to do for fund raising was to "sell stars." For certain donations, placks were placed in the planentarium next to stellar object names with the donator's name next to that. (We were "selling stars.") The magnitude of the star that you got your name next to was proportional to the amount given in donations. For example, Vega was given to a fellow for a $25,000, as was Sirius. > +6 magnitude stars were given to people who gave $10 - $100 donations, etc... Call it what you like...people loved it... -- --- Rob DeMillo Madison Academic Computer Center ...seismo!uwvax!uwmacc!demillo / =|-- = \ = [][][] "...I don't know what this thing does, but it's pointing in your direction."