mike@bambi.UUCP (Michael Caplinger) (02/05/86)
Sorry, but astronomical bodies like moons are never named after people. Even asteroids christened for individuals use a variant of the person's name that looks like a first name, or has been "Latinized" or "classisized" in some way. The current scheme for naming the moons of Uranus names them after spirits in plays or poems (sort of, Miranda is something of an exception). Titania and Oberon are from Shakespeare's MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, Ariel and Miranda are from THE TEMPEST, and Umbriel is from Pope's THE RAPE OF THE LOCK (which also had an Ariel in it, don't know which one was intended). There are quite a few candidates left from this set. Besides, names have to be approved by an international body (the IAU). The discovering country can't just pick them. (Ironically, the discoverer of Uranus, John Herschel, wanted to name it after the king of England at the time. The name he proposed meant "George's Star" in Latin, I believe.) However, naming craters according to some scheme on a particular moon is just fine. Maybe a moon should be reserved for astronauts and cosmonauts killed on missions. Mike Caplinger mike@bellcore.arpa ihnp4!bambi!mike
ems@amdahl.UUCP (ems) (02/10/86)
In article <271@bambi.UUCP>, mike@bambi.UUCP (Michael Caplinger) writes: > Sorry, but astronomical bodies like moons are never named after people. > Even asteroids christened for individuals use a variant of the person's > name that looks like a first name, or has been "Latinized" or "classisized" > in some way. > > The current scheme for naming the moons of Uranus names them after > spirits in plays or poems (sort of, Miranda is something of an > exception). Titania and Oberon are from Shakespeare's MIDSUMMER > NIGHT'S DREAM, (...) Somebody write a play about the Challenger 7, QUICK! I can think of nothing so worthy of overturning a tradition than the desire to start a new one of naming moons after space explorers killed in flight. I also hope that there will be no shortage of moons... -- E. Michael Smith ...!{hplabs,ihnp4,amd,nsc}!amdahl!ems This is the obligatory disclaimer of everything.
arnold@ucsfcgl.UUCP (Ken Arnold%CGL) (02/13/86)
In article <271@bambi.UUCP> mike@bambi.UUCP (Michael Caplinger) writes: >Sorry, but astronomical bodies like moons are never named after people. >Even asteroids christened for individuals use a variant of the person's >name that looks like a first name, or has been "Latinized" or "classisized" >in some way. Not to press a point too much, but this is not universal. I invite you to look at asteroid #2143, named "JIMARNOLD". It was to be named "ARNOLD", but there was already one name "ARNOLDA" after some godess or other, and there is a rule against having names that differ only by one character (thank goodness), so they had to tack on the first name. Ken Arnold P.S. Yes, by the way, I am related. James R. Arnold is my father. You think I memorize these things or something?