Pluto has 2 new moons!

*Raph's Girl* · 06-22-2006, 01:21 AM

Meet the newest kids in the solar system: Nix and Hydra. The pair of moons orbiting Pluto were officially christened last week by the International Astronomical Union, which is in charge of approving celestial names.

Until last year, scientists thought Pluto was accompanied by only one moon, Charon. But the Hubble Space Telescope spotted the two satellites _ more than twice as far away as Charon and many times fainter.

The duo had been known by the tongue-twisting names S/2005 P 2 and S/2005 P 1. Earlier this year, the moons' discoverers, led by Alan Stern of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo., submitted their choices to the IAU.

The names, with roots in Greek mythology, were selected in part because their first letters, "N" and "H," were a tribute to the New Horizons spacecraft, Stern said Wednesday.

New Horizons blasted off earlier this year on a nine-year mission to study Pluto, the last unexplored planet in the solar system. Stern is the mission's principal investigator.

Nix was originally spelled "Nyx" by Stern's group. Nyx is the Greek goddess of darkness and Hydra is the nine-headed serpent that guarded the underworld. Pluto is the Roman god of the underworld.

But since a near-Earth object was already called Nyx, the IAU decided to tweak the spelling to "Nix" to avoid confusion.

Stern said he wasn't disappointed by the spelling change because the pronunciation and significance of the names were still intact.

"The joke was that they nixed Nyx," Stern said.

This summer, the IAU will debate whether Pluto should remain a planet. The discovery of an icy object slightly larger than Pluto in the Kuiper Belt last year reinvigorated the argument over whether to demote Pluto or add other planets.

http://www.comcast.net/news/science/...21/418819.html

Raph's Girl note: In September we should find out if Xena will be made the official 10th planet or not.

OA · 06-23-2006, 04:47 PM

Is that the same Union that lets you supposedly "officially" name one of the billions of unnamed stars for a fee?

*Ecto Jedi* · 07-01-2006, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raph's Girl

Raph's Girl note: In September we should find out if Xena will be made the official 10th planet or not.

Come again??

*Raven* · 07-01-2006, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ecto Jedi

Come again??

A while back they stumbled upon what they think could be a new planet, but there debating that right now because if I remember right its mostaly ice? Or it was to small, somthing like that.

Ok heres what Wiki says.
A ruling on what to name 2003 UB313 is currently being delayed pending a decision on whether it qualifies as a planet. 2003 UB313's discoverers have confidentially submitted potential names to the IAU, who oversee astronomical naming conventions. Claims that 2003 UB313 has been officially named 'Xena' or 'Lila' are incorrect; 'Xena' is an informal codename used by its discoverers among themselves, and 'Lila' is a name in the address of the website where the object was announced, after the newly-born daughter of one of the discoverers. Neither name was submitted to the IAU.

*iris* · 07-02-2006, 01:46 PM

Neither name was submitted, but if it's designated a planet chances are pretty good that many people will call it Xena anyway.

*Cascadia* · 07-06-2006, 01:56 PM

There have been other names submitted for the planets further than Pluto, such as Santa Claus, Xena, Rudolph. It has been known that Pluto has two newly discovered moons since last Fall. They have been asteroids that captured by Pluto's force of gravity.

*Katie* · 07-06-2006, 06:42 PM

I don't think Xena would be a good name at all. I kinda think it's neat that they've stuck with the Creation Diety theme. It would even be ok if they did something other than a Roman one...kinda like the little planetoid out there that they named after a Inuit Creation Deity (Can't remember it's name just now...starts with an "s" I think). Just please not after a TV character. That would be really...I'd loose some respect for those folks.

*iris* · 07-06-2006, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katie

I don't think Xena would be a good name at all. I kinda think it's neat that they've stuck with the Creation Diety theme. It would even be ok if they did something other than a Roman one...kinda like the little planetoid out there that they named after a Inuit Creation Deity (Can't remember it's name just now...starts with an "s" I think). Just please not after a TV character. That would be really...I'd loose some respect for those folks.

Well, the whole idea is kind of that the name Xena is a little mocking. Many people dont' consider Pluto, or anything beyond, to be "real planets." They say they're just big rocks from the Kuiper belt.

*KROW* · 07-06-2006, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katie

I don't think Xena would be a good name at all. I kinda think it's neat that they've stuck with the Creation Diety theme. It would even be ok if they did something other than a Roman one...kinda like the little planetoid out there that they named after a Inuit Creation Deity (Can't remember it's name just now...starts with an "s" I think). Just please not after a TV character. That would be really...I'd loose some respect for those folks.

I don't think it's a good name, either. Can you imagine the Lucy Lawless jokes that'd spawn from that, like fabricated stories which might ensue stating that life-forms have developed on it and only communicate by screeching, "Yalalalalalalalalalala!"

*Sewer Bull* · 07-07-2006, 02:05 AM

They should call it Vesta. Nice and simple and follows the Roman mythology streak.

*Raph's Girl* · 07-10-2006, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sewer Bull

They should call it Vesta. Nice and simple and follows the Roman mythology streak.

Im baaack from vacation!

Anyways....if there's ever an official 10th planet it's gonna be called Persephone.

06-22-2006, 01:21 AM	#1
Raph's Girl Dierna Soul, Reporter Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Jakku Posts: 10,831	Pluto has 2 new moons! Meet the newest kids in the solar system: Nix and Hydra. The pair of moons orbiting Pluto were officially christened last week by the International Astronomical Union, which is in charge of approving celestial names. Until last year, scientists thought Pluto was accompanied by only one moon, Charon. But the Hubble Space Telescope spotted the two satellites _ more than twice as far away as Charon and many times fainter. The duo had been known by the tongue-twisting names S/2005 P 2 and S/2005 P 1. Earlier this year, the moons' discoverers, led by Alan Stern of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo., submitted their choices to the IAU. The names, with roots in Greek mythology, were selected in part because their first letters, "N" and "H," were a tribute to the New Horizons spacecraft, Stern said Wednesday. New Horizons blasted off earlier this year on a nine-year mission to study Pluto, the last unexplored planet in the solar system. Stern is the mission's principal investigator. Nix was originally spelled "Nyx" by Stern's group. Nyx is the Greek goddess of darkness and Hydra is the nine-headed serpent that guarded the underworld. Pluto is the Roman god of the underworld. But since a near-Earth object was already called Nyx, the IAU decided to tweak the spelling to "Nix" to avoid confusion. Stern said he wasn't disappointed by the spelling change because the pronunciation and significance of the names were still intact. "The joke was that they nixed Nyx," Stern said. This summer, the IAU will debate whether Pluto should remain a planet. The discovery of an icy object slightly larger than Pluto in the Kuiper Belt last year reinvigorated the argument over whether to demote Pluto or add other planets. http://www.comcast.net/news/science/...21/418819.html Raph's Girl note: In September we should find out if Xena will be made the official 10th planet or not. __________________

06-23-2006, 04:47 PM	#2
OA Scatter the nuns!! Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 3,981	Is that the same Union that lets you supposedly "officially" name one of the billions of unnamed stars for a fee? __________________

07-02-2006, 01:46 PM	#5
iris moddy mod mod Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: finally escaped the lab Posts: 1,886	Neither name was submitted, but if it's designated a planet chances are pretty good that many people will call it Xena anyway. __________________ Appeal to nobler motives. Like pie. [ life is at best bitter sweet ]

07-06-2006, 01:56 PM	#6
Cascadia Oregonian in heart & soul Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,731	There have been other names submitted for the planets further than Pluto, such as Santa Claus, Xena, Rudolph. It has been known that Pluto has two newly discovered moons since last Fall. They have been asteroids that captured by Pluto's force of gravity. __________________ Formally known as Scientific freak

07-06-2006, 06:42 PM	#7
Katie Just...way too serious. Join Date: May 2005 Location: purgatory Posts: 3,519	I don't think Xena would be a good name at all. I kinda think it's neat that they've stuck with the Creation Diety theme. It would even be ok if they did something other than a Roman one...kinda like the little planetoid out there that they named after a Inuit Creation Deity (Can't remember it's name just now...starts with an "s" I think). Just please not after a TV character. That would be really...I'd loose some respect for those folks. __________________ THE WORLD IS JUST AWESOME

07-07-2006, 02:05 AM	#10
Sewer Bull Devil's Advocate Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 4,768	They should call it Vesta. Nice and simple and follows the Roman mythology streak. __________________ Soooo... THIS* is how you spend your free time now?!*