[meteorite-list] No Rules For Naming A Planet

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon Aug 15 01:25:45 2005
Message-ID: <200508150524.j7F5Ojp15563_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/Stories/0,1413,206~22097~3009692,00.html

No rules for naming a planet
By Kimm Groshong
Pasadena Star News
August 13, 2005

NOT to fear. If the textbooks are rewritten based on Caltech astronomer
Mike Brown's announcement of a 10th planet, students are not likely to
be reading of the distant planet "Lilah.'

Of course, we all hope the object beyond Pluto's orbit won't hold on to
its clunky temporary name 2003 UB313 much longer, either.

But Brown has silenced rumors the object would take the name of his
newborn daughter based on his inclusion of the word "planetlila' in his
Caltech Web site address. "That is really just a sentimental dad's
early-morning-after-no-sleep naming of a Web site for his three-week-old
daughter, and one should not take it too seriously!' the Web site now
clarifies.

Others have speculated the possible planet will be dubbed Xena. But
Brown has said the warrior princess's name is simply his group's code
name for the object. So teachers won't necessarily be searching for a
way to work xylophones or X-rays into the "My Very Educated Mother Just
Served Us Nine Pickles' planet-order mnemonic device.

Brown and his colleagues have suggested a name to the International
Astronomical Union, the organization charged with keeping planetary and
satellite names straight since 1919. But they won't reveal their
suggestion until it's accepted, and it may be quite some time before
that happens.

The union first has to answer the question of whether it will accept the
object as a planet at all. 2003 UB313 is at least as large as Pluto and
is thought to be about 1 1/2 times larger. So is 2003 UB313 a planet? If
not, is Pluto?

Currently, the IAU has a working group designed specifically to answer
such questions by establishing a definition for "planet.'

Once the group has a definition, it will be able to classify 2003 UB313
as a planet or not. "Until then, the object will not be given an
official name by the IAU.'

"If it is a planet, they have told me they want to go for a Greek or
Roman god,' Brown said. He's personally pulling for the name Persephone,
in that case. But that leads to another question: Should planets be
allowed to take names already being used by other celestial objects An
asteroid currently lays claim to that Greek goddess's name.

But as Brown pointed out, there are no rules for naming planets because
no one ever expected to find another after Pluto was discovered in 1930.

Still, it sounds like bad news for the People for the Ethical Treatment
of Animals. The animal-rights group sent a letter to Brown and his
colleagues this week suggesting the planet be named PETA, of course the
Planet for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Received on Mon 15 Aug 2005 01:24:45 AM PDT