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The Name Game

Someone must have lit a fire under the IAU’s ass, because they’ve moving like lightning on planetary issues right now. They’ve finally given 2003UB 313 an official planet name: Eris (goddess of strife and discord). It’s moon is now called Dysnomia (goddess of lawlessness). Much better than their nicknames Xena and Gabrielle, although the Bad Astronomer makes a punny point that we may not have escaped the references entirely.

Pluto, on the other hand, has just received its minor planet designation: 134340. Don’t worry, this isn’t replacing the name of Pluto. Ceres, for example, is also minor planet 1. Pluto’s response?

Pluto responds

And yes, I know, I haven’t done this week’s midweek cuckoo yet. I’m working on it, it’s just that my real life i.e. the job that pays me money, is commanding a lot of my attention just now.

This entry was posted on September 14, 2006 at 5:59 pm and is filed under Science . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed Both comments and pings are currently closed.

6 Responses to “The Name Game”

  1. kyknoord Says:
    September 15, 2006 at 8:00 am

    Dysnomia? The odds that your average person will will get the joke are – well – astronomical, but then I suppose that’s the point :-)

  2. kyknoord Says:
    September 15, 2006 at 8:01 am

    Dysnomia? The odds that your average person will get the joke are – well – astronomical, but then I suppose that’s the point :-)

  3. Lilo Says:
    November 25, 2006 at 3:29 am

    hm. there’s an echo in here.

  4. Lilo Says:
    November 25, 2006 at 3:29 am

    hm. there’s an echo in here

  5. Lilo Says:
    November 25, 2006 at 3:30 am

    must be a dual planet somewhere messing up the frequencies.

  6. Lilo Says:
    November 25, 2006 at 3:31 am

    of course. kyknoord wanted to correct his ‘will’
    yes – dysnomia.
    er… I forget.

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