Planetary nomenclature
Encyclopedia
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
or natural satellite
Natural satellite
A natural satellite or moon is a celestial body that orbits a planet or smaller body, which is called its primary. The two terms are used synonymously for non-artificial satellites of planets, of dwarf planets, and of minor planets....
so that the features can be easily located, described, and discussed. The task of assigning official names to features is taken up by the International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
since its founding in 1919.
How names are approved by the IAU
When images are first obtained of the surface of a planet or satellite, a theme for naming features is chosen and a few important features are named, usually by members of the appropriate IAU task group (a commonly accepted planet-naming group). Later, as higher resolutionImage resolution
Image resolution is an umbrella term that describes the detail an image holds. The term applies to raster digital images, film images, and other types of images. Higher resolution means more image detail....
images and maps become available, additional features are named at the request of investigators mapping or describing specific surfaces, features, or geologic
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
formations. Anyone may suggest that a specific name be considered by a task group. If the members of the task group agree that the name is appropriate, it can be retained for use when there is a request from a member of the scientific community that a specific feature be named. Names successfully reviewed by a task group are submitted to the IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN). Upon successful review by the members of the WGPSN, names are considered provisionally approved and can be used on maps
Cartography
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
and in publications as long as the provisional status is clearly stated. Provisional names are then presented for adoption to the IAU's General Assembly, which met triennially in the past, and which now adopts nomenclature for planetary surface features as required. A name is not considered to be official — that is, "adopted" — until the General Assembly has given its approval.
IAU rules and conventions
Names adopted by the IAU must follow various rules and conventions established and amended through the years by the Union. These include:- Nomenclature is a tool and the first consideration should be to make it simple, clear, and unambiguous.
- Features whose longest dimension is less than 100 meters are not assigned official names unless they have exceptional scientific interest.
- The number of names chosen for each body should be kept to a minimum, and their placement governed by the requirements of the scientific community.
- Duplication of the same name on two or more bodies is to be avoided.
- Individual names chosen for each body should be expressed in the language of origin. Transliteration for various alphabets should be given, but there will be no translation from one language to another.
- Where possible, the themes established in early solar system nomenclature should be used and expanded on.
- Solar system nomenclature should be international in its choice of names. Recommendations submitted to the IAU national committees will be considered, but final selection of the names is the responsibility of the International Astronomical Union. The WGPSN strongly supports equitable selection of names from ethnic groups/countries on each map; however, a higher percentage of names from the country planning a landing is allowed on landing site maps.
- No names having political, military or religious significance may be used, except for names of political figures prior to the 19th century. (Note: Apparently this only goes for religions that are widely practiced today, since gods and goddesses of ancient religions are obviously acceptable to the IAU.)
- Commemoration of persons on planetary bodies should not be a goal in itself but should be reserved for persons of high and enduring international standing. Persons being so honored must have been deceased for at least three years.
- When more than one spelling of a name is extant, the spelling preferred by the person, or used in an authoritative reference, should be used. Diacritical marks are a necessary part of a name and will be used.
- Ring and ring-gap nomenclature and names for newly discovered satellites are developed in joint deliberation between WGPSN and IAU Commission 20. Names will not be assigned to satellites until their orbital elements are reasonably well known or definite features have been identified on them.
In addition to these general rules, each task group develops additional conventions as it formulates an interesting and meaningful nomenclature for individual planetary bodies.
Naming conventions
Names for all planetary features include a descriptor term, with the exception of two feature types. For craters, the descriptor term is implicit. Some features named on IoIo (moon)
Io ) is the innermost of the four Galilean moons of the planet Jupiter and, with a diameter of , the fourth-largest moon in the Solar System. It was named after the mythological character of Io, a priestess of Hera who became one of the lovers of Zeus....
and Triton
Triton (moon)
Triton is the largest moon of the planet Neptune, discovered on October 10, 1846, by English astronomer William Lassell. It is the only large moon in the Solar System with a retrograde orbit, which is an orbit in the opposite direction to its planet's rotation. At 2,700 km in diameter, it is...
do not carry a descriptor term because they are ephemeral.
In general, the naming convention for a feature type remains the same regardless of its size. Exceptions to this rule are valleys and craters on Mars and Venus; naming conventions for these features differ according to size.
One feature classification, regio, was originally used on early maps of the Moon and Mercury (drawn from telescopic observations) to describe vague albedo features. It is now used to delineate a broad geographic region.
Named features on bodies so small that coordinates have not yet been determined are identified on drawings of the body that are included in the IAU Transactions volume of the year when the names were adopted. Satellite rings and gaps in the rings are named for scientists who have studied these features; drawings that show these names are also included in the pertinent Transactions volume. Names for atmospheric features are informal at present; a formal system will be chosen in the future.
The boundaries of many large features (such as terrae, regiones, planitiae and plana) are not topographically or geomorphically distinct; the coordinates of these features are identified from an arbitrarily chosen center point. Boundaries (and thus coordinates) may be determined more accurately from geochemical and geophysical data obtained by future missions.
Descriptor terms (feature types)
| Feature | Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
| Albedo feature Albedo feature An albedo feature is a large area on the surface of a planet which shows a contrast in brightness or darkness with adjacent areas.... |
An area which shows a contrast in brightness or darkness (albedo) with adjacent areas. This term is implicit. | AL |
| Arcus, arcūs | Arc: curved feature | AR |
| Astrum, astra | Radial-patterned features on Venus Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows... |
AS |
| Catena, catenae Crater chain A crater chain is a line of craters along the surface of an astronomical body. The descriptor term for crater chains is catena , as specified by the International Astronomical Union's rules on planetary nomenclature.... |
A chain of craters e.g. Enki Catena Enki Catena Enki Catena is a crater chain on Ganymede measuring long.This chain of 13 craters probably formed by a comet which was pulled into pieces by Jupiter's gravity as it passed too close to the planet. Soon after this breakup, the 13 fragments crashed onto Ganymede in rapid succession... . |
CA |
| Cavus, cavi | Hollows, irregular steep-sided depressions usually in arrays or clusters | CB |
| Chaos Chaos terrain Chaos terrain is an astrogeological term used to denote planetary surface areas where features such as ridges, cracks, and plains appear jumbled and enmeshed with one another. Chaos terrain is a notable feature of the planet Mars and Jupiter's moon Europa... |
A distinctive area of broken or jumbled terrain e.g. Iani Chaos Iani Chaos Iani Chaos, the source region of Ares Vallis on Mars, is centered at ~342°E, 2°S. The chaotic terrain is widely believed to have formed via the removal of subsurface water or ice, resulting in flooding at the surface, and the formation of Ares Vallis... . |
CH |
| Chasma, chasmata Chasma Chasma is a term used in astrogeology to refer to "a deep, elongated, steep-sided depression". The plural is chasmata. An example is Eos Chasma on Mars. Below are images of some of the major chasmata of Mars... |
Deep, elongated, steep-sided depression e.g. Eos Chasma Eos Chasma Eos Chasma is a chasma in the southern part of the Valles Marineris canyon system of Mars.Eos Chasma’s western floor is mainly composed of an etched massive material composed of either volcanic or eolian deposits later eroded by the Martian wind. The eastern end of the Eos chasma has a large area... . |
CM |
| Colles | A collection of small hills or knobs. | CO |
| Corona, coronae Corona (planetary geology) In planetary geology, a corona is an oval-shaped feature. Coronae appear on both the planet Venus and Uranus's moon Miranda and may be formed by upwellings of warm material below the surface.-Coronae on Venus:... |
An oval feature. Used only on Venus and Miranda Miranda (moon) -External links:* at * at The Nine8 Planets* at Views of the Solar System* * from the... . |
CR |
| Crater, craters Impact crater In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body... |
A circular depression likely created by impact event. This term is implicit. | AA |
| Dorsum, dorsa Wrinkle-ridge A wrinkle ridge is a type of feature commonly found on lunar maria. These features are low, sinuous ridges formed on the mare surface that can extend for up to several hundred kilometers. Wrinkle ridges are tectonic features created when the basaltic lava first cooled and contracted... |
Ridge, sometimes called a wrinkle ridge e.g. Dorsum Buckland Dorsum Buckland Dorsum Buckland is a large wrinkle ridge at in Mare Serenitatis on the Moon, 380 km long. It is named after William Buckland.Dorsum Buckland's ridges are 200 to 300 meters high and were formed by compressional stresses near the center of the basin, possibly over buried basin structures.... . |
DO |
| Eruptive center | An active volcano Volcanism on Io Volcanism on Io, a moon of Jupiter, produces lava flows, volcanic pits, and plumes of sulfur and sulfur dioxide hundreds of kilometres high. This volcanic activity was discovered in 1979 by Voyager 1 imaging scientists... on Io Io (moon) Io ) is the innermost of the four Galilean moons of the planet Jupiter and, with a diameter of , the fourth-largest moon in the Solar System. It was named after the mythological character of Io, a priestess of Hera who became one of the lovers of Zeus.... . This term is implicit. |
ER |
| Facula, faculae Facula A facula , Latin for "little torch", is literally a "bright spot." It is used in planetary nomenclature for naming certain surface features of planets and moons, and is also a type of surface phenomenon on the Sun.... |
Bright spot | FA |
| Farrum, farra | Pancake-like structure, or a row of such structures | FR |
| Flexus, flexūs | Very low curvilinear ridge with a scalloped pattern | FE |
| Fluctus, fluctūs | Terrain covered by outflow from a volcano Volcano 2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15... . |
FL |
| Flumen, flumina | Channel on Titan Titan (moon) Titan , or Saturn VI, is the largest moon of Saturn, the only natural satellite known to have a dense atmosphere, and the only object other than Earth for which clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found.... that might carry liquid |
FM |
| Fossa, fossae Fossa (geology) Fossa is a term used in planetary geology to describe a long, narrow depression on the surface of an extraterrestrial body, such as a planet or moon... |
Long, narrow, shallow depression | FO |
| Insula, insulae | Island (islands), an isolated land area (or group of such areas) surrounded by, or nearly surrounded by, a liquid area (sea or lake). The only feature with this designation is Mayda Insula. | IN |
| Labes, labēs Labes Labes is a Latin word used by exogeologists to refer to chaotic regions, featuring ridges and steep valleys, in the Valles Marineris region of Mars. Labes are named after the nearest classical albedo feature.-List of labes:... |
Landslide debris. Used only on Mars. | LA |
| Labyrinthus, labyrinthi | Complex of intersecting valleys or ridges. | LB |
| Lacus | A "lake" or small plain. Used on the Moon, Mars and Titan. | LC |
| Landing site name | Lunar features at or near Apollo Project Apollo The Apollo program was the spaceflight effort carried out by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration , that landed the first humans on Earth's Moon. Conceived during the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Apollo began in earnest after President John F... landing sites |
LF |
| Large ringed feature | Cryptic ringed features | LG |
| Lenticula, lenticulae | Small dark spots on Europa Europa (moon) Europa Slightly smaller than Earth's Moon, Europa is primarily made of silicate rock and probably has an iron core. It has a tenuous atmosphere composed primarily of oxygen. Its surface is composed of ice and is one of the smoothest in the Solar System. This surface is striated by cracks and... |
LE |
| Linea, lineae | Dark or bright elongate marking, may be curved or straight | LI |
| Macula, maculae Macula (planetary geology) Macula is the Latin word for 'spot'. It is used in planetary geology to refer to unusually dark areas on the surface of a planet or moon. They are seen on the icy surfaces of Jupiter's moon Europa and Neptune's moon Triton. The term was adopted for planetary geology when high resolution pictures... |
Dark spot, may be irregular | MA |
| Mare Lunar mare The lunar maria are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth's Moon, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. They were dubbed maria, Latin for "seas", by early astronomers who mistook them for actual seas. They are less reflective than the "highlands" as a result of their iron-rich compositions, and... , maria |
A "sea" or large circular plain e.g. Mare Erythraeum Mare Erythraeum Mare Erythraeum is a very large dark dusky region of Mars that can be viewed by even a small telescope. The name comes from the Latin for the Erythraean Sea, because it was originally thought to be a large sea of liquid water. It was included in Percival Lowell's 1895 map of Mars.-External links:*... . Used on the Moon, Mars and Titan. |
ME |
| Mensa, mensae Mensa (geology) In planetary geology, the word mensa is used to refer to a large mesa-like area of raised land.... |
A flat-topped prominence with cliff-like edges, i.e. a mesa Mesa A mesa or table mountain is an elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs. It takes its name from its characteristic table-top shape.... . |
MN |
| Mons, montes | Mons refers to a mountain. Montes refers to a mountain range. | MO |
| Oceanus | Very large dark area. Used only on the Moon. | OC |
| Palus, paludes | "Swamp"; small plain. Used on the Moon and Mars. | PA |
| Patera, paterae | Irregular crater, or a complex one with scalloped edges e.g. Ah Peku Patera Ah Peku Patera Ah Peku Patera is a patera, or a complex crater with scalloped edges, on Jupiter's moon Io. It is 84 kilometers in diameter and is located at . It is named after the Mayan thunder god Ah Peku. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 2006. Ah Peku Patera is located on the... . Usually refers to the dish-shaped depression atop a volcano. |
PE |
| Planitia, planitiae | Low plain e.g. Amazonis Planitia Amazonis Planitia Amazonis Planitia is one of the smoothest plains on Mars. It is located between the Tharsis and Elysium volcanic provinces to the west of Olympus Mons in the Valles Marineris region of the Memnonia quadrangle, centered at... . |
PL |
| Planum, plana | A plateau Plateau In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau... or high plain e.g. Planum Boreum Planum Boreum Planum Boreum is the northern polar plain on Mars. It extends northward from roughly 80°N and is centered at . Surrounding the high polar plain is a flat and featureless lowland plain called Vastitas Borealis which extends for approximately 1500 kilometres southwards, dominating the northern... . |
PM |
| Plume | A cryovolcanic Cryovolcano A cryovolcano is a volcano that erupts volatiles such as water, ammonia or methane, instead of molten rock. Collectively referred to as cryomagma or ice-volcanic melt, these substances are usually liquids and form plumes, but can also be in vapour form... feature on Triton Triton (moon) Triton is the largest moon of the planet Neptune, discovered on October 10, 1846, by English astronomer William Lassell. It is the only large moon in the Solar System with a retrograde orbit, which is an orbit in the opposite direction to its planet's rotation. At 2,700 km in diameter, it is... . This term is currently unused. |
PU |
| Promontorium, promontoria | "Cape"; headland. Used only on the Moon. | PR |
| Regio, regiones | Large area marked by reflectivity or color distinctions from adjacent areas, or a broad geographic region | RE |
| Reticulum, reticula | reticular (netlike) pattern on Venus | RT |
| Rima, rimae | Fissure. Used only on the Moon. | RI |
| Rupes, rupēes | Scarp | RU |
| Satellite feature | A feature that shares the name of an associated feature, for example Hertzsprung D. | SF |
| Scopulus Scopulus In planetary geology, scopulus is the term used to describe a lobate or irregular escarpment. The word is from the Latin meaning a crag, cliff, or a rock at sea. The word is derived from the Greek σκόπελος, which means prominatory, peak, or headland. The word can also mean a look-out place as... , scopuli |
Lobate or irregular scarp | SC |
| Sinus | "Bay"; small plain e.g. Sinus Meridiani Sinus Meridiani Sinus Meridiani is a feature name for an albedo feature on Mars stretching east-west just south of that planet's equator. It was named by the French astronomer Camille Flammarion in the late 1870s.-Observational History:... . |
SI |
| Sulcus, sulci | Subparallel furrows and ridges | SU |
| Terra, terrae | Extensive land mass e.g. Arabia Terra Arabia Terra Arabia Terra is a large upland region in the north of Mars in that lies mostly in the Arabia quadrangle. It is densely cratered and heavily eroded. This battered topography indicates great age, and Arabia Terra is presumed to be one of the oldest terrains on the planet... . |
TA |
| Tessera, tesserae | An area of tile-like, polygonal terrain. This term is used only on Venus. | TE |
| Tholus, tholi | Small domical mountain or hill e.g. Hecates Tholus Hecates Tholus Hecates Tholus is a Martian volcano, notable for results from the European Space Agency's Mars Express mission which indicate a major eruption took place 350 million years ago. The eruption created a caldera 10 km in diameter. It has been suggested that glacial deposits later partly filled the... . |
TH |
| Undae | A field of dunes. | UN |
| Vallis, valles | A valley e.g. Valles Marineris Valles Marineris Valles Marineris is a system of canyons that runs along the Martian surface east of the Tharsis region... . |
VA |
| Vastitas, vastitates | An extensive plain. The only feature with this designation is Vastitas Borealis Vastitas Borealis Vastitas Borealis is the largest lowland region of Mars. It is in the northerly latitudes of the planet and encircles the northern polar region. Vastitas Borealis is often simply referred to as the Northern plains or Northern lowlands of Mars. The plains lie 4–5 km below the mean radius of... . |
VS |
| Virga, virgae | A streak or stripe of color | VI |
MercuryMercury (planet)Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System, orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits...
VenusVenusVenus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
All but three features on Venus are named after females. These three exceptions were named before the convention was adopted, being respectively Alpha Regio, Beta Regio, and Maxwell MontesMaxwell Montes
Maxwell Montes is a mountain massif on the planet Venus, part of which contains the highest point on the planet's surface.- General description :...
which is named after James Clark Maxwell
The MoonMoonThe Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
| Feature type | Naming convention |
|---|---|
| Craters | Craters are generally named after deceased scientists, scholars, artists and explorers who have made outstanding or fundamental contributions to their field. Additionally, craters in or around Mare Moscoviense Mare Moscoviense Mare Moscoviense is a lunar mare that sits in the Moscoviense basin. It is one of the very few maria on the far side of the Moon. Like Mare Marginis, this mare appears to be fairly thin. However, it is clearly centered within a large impact basin... are named after deceased Russian cosmonauts and craters in and around Apollo crater are named after deceased American astronauts (see Space accidents and incidents). This convention may be extended if other space-faring countries suffer fatalities in spaceflight. |
| Lacūs, Maria, Paludes, Sinūs | These features are assigned names which are Latin terms describing weather and other abstract concepts. |
| Montes | Montes are named after terrestrial mountain ranges or nearby craters. |
| Rupēs | Rupēs are named after nearby mountain ranges (see above). |
| Valles | Valles are named after nearby features. |
| Others | Features that don't fall into any of the above categories are named after nearby craters. |
MarsMarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
| Feature type | Naming convention |
|---|---|
| Large craters | Deceased scientists who have contributed to the study of Mars; writers and others who have contributed to the lore of Mars |
| Small craters | Villages of the world with a population of less than 100,000. |
| Large valles | Name for Mars/star in various languages |
| Small valles | Classical or modern names of rivers |
| Other features | From nearest named albedo feature on Schiaparelli Giovanni Schiaparelli Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli was an Italian astronomer and science historian. He studied at the University of Turin and Berlin Observatory. In 1859-1860 he worked in Pulkovo Observatory and then worked for over forty years at Brera Observatory... or Antoniadi maps. See Classical albedo features on Mars Classical albedo features on Mars The classical albedo features of Mars are the light and dark features that can be seen on the planet Mars through an Earth-based telescope. Before the age of space probes, several astronomers created maps of Mars on which they gave names to the features they could see. The most popular system of... for a list. |
When space probe
Space probe
A robotic spacecraft is a spacecraft with no humans on board, that is usually under telerobotic control. A robotic spacecraft designed to make scientific research measurements is often called a space probe. Many space missions are more suited to telerobotic rather than crewed operation, due to...
s have landed on Mars, individual small features such as rocks, dunes, and hollows have often been given informal names. Many of these are frivolous: features have been named after ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
(such as Cookies N Cream
Cookies and Cream
Cookies and Cream is a variety of ice cream and milkshake based on flavoring from chocolate cookies. Often called the "King Kong of Ice Cream" because it immediately rocketed to the top of the World's Favorite Ice Cream Flavor list. The "Cookies and Cream" ice cream uses sweet cream ice cream ...
); cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
characters (such as SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
and Patrick
Patrick Star
Patrick Star is the deuteragonist of the Nickelodeon animated comedy series SpongeBob SquarePants, created by creator Stephen Hillenburg and voiced by Bill Fagerbakke. Patrick's most significant character trait is his lack of common sense, which sometimes makes him a negative influence on his best...
); and '70s music acts (such as ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
and the Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
).
DeimosDeimos (moon)Deimos is the smaller and outer of Mars's two moons . It is named after Deimos, a figure representing dread in Greek Mythology. Its systematic designation is '.-Discovery:Deimos was discovered by Asaph Hall, Sr...
Swift (Deimian crater)
Swift crater is a crater on Mars's moon Deimos. It is about in diameter. Swift crater is named after Jonathan Swift, who predicted the existence of the moons of Mars. Swift crater is one of two named features on Deimos, the other being Voltaire crater. On 10 July 2006, Mars Global Surveyor took an...
and Voltaire crater
Voltaire (crater)
Voltaire is an impact crater on Mars' moon Deimos and is approximately across. Voltaire crater is named after François-Marie Arouet, a French Enlightenment writer who was better known by the pen name Voltaire. Voltaire crater is one of two named features on Deimos, the other being Swift crater...
- after Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
and Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
who predicted the presence of Martian moons.
PhobosPhobos (moon)Phobos is the larger and closer of the two natural satellites of Mars. Both moons were discovered in 1877. With a mean radius of , Phobos is 7.24 times as massive as Deimos...
All features on Phobos are named after scientists involved with the discovery, dynamics, or properties of the Martian satellites or people and places from Jonathan SwiftJonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
's Gulliver's Travels
Gulliver's Travels
Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, in Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships, better known simply as Gulliver's Travels , is a novel by Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan Swift that is both a satire on human nature and a parody of...
.
AmaltheaAmalthea (moon)Amalthea is the third moon of Jupiter in order of distance from the planet. It was discovered on September 9, 1892, by Edward Emerson Barnard and named after Amalthea, a nymph in Greek mythology. It is also known as '....
People and places associated with the Amalthea mythThebeThebe (moon)Thebe also known as ', is the fourth of Jupiter's moons by distance from the planet. It was discovered by Stephen P. Synnott in images from the Voyager 1 space probe taken on March 5, 1979, while orbiting around Jupiter...
Features on Thebe are named after people and places associated with the Thebe myth. There is only one named feature on Thebes - Zethus crater.IoIo (moon)Io ) is the innermost of the four Galilean moons of the planet Jupiter and, with a diameter of , the fourth-largest moon in the Solar System. It was named after the mythological character of Io, a priestess of Hera who became one of the lovers of Zeus....
| Feature type | Naming convention |
|---|---|
| Active eruptive centers | Active volcanoes on Io are named after fire, sun or thunder gods or heroes. |
| Catenae | Crater chains are named after Sun gods Solar deity A solar deity is a sky deity who represents the Sun, or an aspect of it, usually by its perceived power and strength. Solar deities and sun worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms... . |
| Fluctūs | Names of fluctūs are derived from a nearby named feature, fire, sun, thunder or volcano gods, goddesses and heroes or mythical blacksmiths. |
| Mensae, Montes, Plana, Regiones and Tholi | These features can be named after places associated with Io mythology Io (mythology) Io was, in Greek mythology, a priestess of Hera in Argos, a nymph who was seduced by Zeus, who changed her into a heifer to escape detection. His wife Hera set ever-watchful Argus Panoptes to guard her, but Hermes was sent to distract the guardian and slay him... , derived from nearby named features, or places from Dante's Inferno |
| Paterae | Paterae on Io are named after fire, sun, thunder or volcano gods, heroes or goddesses or mythical blacksmiths. |
| Valles | Names of valleys are derived from nearby named features. |
EuropaEuropa (moon)Europa Slightly smaller than Earth's Moon, Europa is primarily made of silicate rock and probably has an iron core. It has a tenuous atmosphere composed primarily of oxygen. Its surface is composed of ice and is one of the smoothest in the Solar System. This surface is striated by cracks and...
| Feature type | Naming convention |
|---|---|
| Chaos | Places associated with Celtic myths |
| Craters | Celtic gods and heroes |
| Flexūs | Places associated with the Europa myth |
| Large ringed features | Celtic stone circles |
| Lenticulae | Celtic gods and heroes |
| Lineae | People associated with the Europa myth |
| Maculae | Places associated with the Europa myth |
| Regiones | Places associated with Celtic myths |
GanymedeGanymede (moon)Ganymede is a satellite of Jupiter and the largest moon in the Solar System. It is the seventh moon and third Galilean satellite outward from Jupiter. Completing an orbit in roughly seven days, Ganymede participates in a 1:2:4 orbital resonance with the moons Europa and Io, respectively...
| Feature type | Naming convention |
|---|---|
| Catenae, craters | Gods and heroes of ancient Fertile Crescent Fertile Crescent The Fertile Crescent, nicknamed "The Cradle of Civilization" for the fact the first civilizations started there, is a crescent-shaped region containing the comparatively moist and fertile land of otherwise arid and semi-arid Western Asia. The term was first used by University of Chicago... people |
| Faculae | Places associated with Egyptian myths |
| Fossae | Gods (or principals) of ancient Fertile Crescent people |
| Paterae | Paterae on Ganymede are named after wadi Wadi Wadi is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some cases, it may refer to a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain or simply an intermittent stream.-Variant names:... s in the Fertile Crescent. |
| Regiones | Astronomers who discovered Jovian satellites |
| Sulci | Places associated with myths of ancient people |
CallistoCallisto (moon)Callisto named after the Greek mythological figure of Callisto) is a moon of the planet Jupiter. It was discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei. It is the third-largest moon in the Solar System and the second largest in the Jovian system, after Ganymede. Callisto has about 99% the diameter of the...
| Feature type | Naming convention |
|---|---|
| Large ringed features | Homes of the gods and of heroes |
| Craters | Heroes and heroines from northern myths |
| Catenae | Mythological places in high latitudes |
JanusJanus (moon)Janus is an inner satellite of Saturn. It is also known as Saturn X . It is named after the mythological Janus.-Discovery and orbit:Janus occupies practically the same orbit as the moon Epimetheus...
People from myth of Castor and PolluxCastor and Pollux
In Greek and Roman mythology, Castor and Pollux or Polydeuces were twin brothers, together known as the Dioscuri . Their mother was Leda, but Castor was the mortal son of Tyndareus, king of Sparta, and Pollux the divine son of Zeus, who visited Leda in the guise of a swan...
(twins)
MimasMimas (moon)Mimas is a moon of Saturn which was discovered in 1789 by William Herschel. It is named after Mimas, a son of Gaia in Greek mythology, and is also designated Saturn I....
People and places from Malory'sThomas Malory
Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author or compiler of Le Morte d'Arthur. The antiquary John Leland as well as John Bale believed him to be Welsh, but most modern scholars, beginning with G. L...
Le Morte d'Arthur
Le Morte d'Arthur
Le Morte d'Arthur is a compilation by Sir Thomas Malory of Romance tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, and the Knights of the Round Table...
legends (Baines translation)
EnceladusEnceladus (moon)Enceladus is the sixth-largest of the moons of Saturn. It was discovered in 1789 by William Herschel. Until the two Voyager spacecraft passed near it in the early 1980s very little was known about this small moon besides the identification of water ice on its surface...
People and places from Burton's Arabian NightsTethysTethys (moon)Tethys or Saturn III is a mid-sized moon of Saturn about across. It was discovered by G. D. Cassini in 1684 and is named after titan Tethys of Greek mythology. Tethys is pronounced |Odysseus]] is about 400 km in diameter, while the largest graben—Ithaca Chasma is about 100 km wide and...
People and places from Homer's OdysseyDioneDione (moon)Dione is a moon of Saturn discovered by Cassini in 1684. It is named after the titan Dione of Greek mythology. It is also designated Saturn IV.- Name :...
People and places from Virgil's AeneidRheaRhea (moon)Rhea is the second-largest moon of Saturn and the ninth largest moon in the Solar System. It was discovered in 1672 by Giovanni Domenico Cassini.-Name:Rhea is named after the Titan Rhea of Greek mythology, "mother of the gods"...
People and places from creation mythsTitanTitan (moon)Titan , or Saturn VI, is the largest moon of Saturn, the only natural satellite known to have a dense atmosphere, and the only object other than Earth for which clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found....
| Feature type | Naming convention |
|---|---|
| Major bright albedo features | Sacred or enchanted places from legends, myths, stories, and poems of cultures from around the world |
| Major dark albedo features | Legendary/mythical primordial seas or enchanted waters from world cultures |
| Craters (and lakes if present) | Lakes from all continents on Earth |
| Fluvial channels | Rivers from all continents on Earth |
| Other features | Deities of happiness, peace, and harmony from world cultures |
HyperionHyperion (moon)Hyperion , also known as Saturn VII, is a moon of Saturn discovered by William Cranch Bond, George Phillips Bond and William Lassell in 1848. It is distinguished by its irregular shape, its chaotic rotation, and its unexplained sponge-like appearance...
Sun and Moon deitiesIapetusIapetus (moon)Iapetus ), occasionally Japetus , is the third-largest moon of Saturn, and eleventh in the Solar System. It was discovered by Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1671...
People and places from Sayers' translation of Chanson de RolandPhoebePhoebe (moon)Phoebe is an irregular satellite of Saturn. It was discovered by William Henry Pickering on 17 March 1899 from photographic plates that had been taken starting on 16 August 1898 at the Boyden Observatory near Arequipa, Peru, by DeLisle Stewart...
| Feature type | Naming convention |
|---|---|
| Craters | Craters of Phoebe are named after people associated with Phoebe Phoebe (mythology) In Greek mythology "radiant" Phoebe , was one of the original Titans, who were one set of sons and daughters of Uranus and Gaia. She was traditionally associated with the moon , as in Michael Drayton's Endimion and Phœbe, , the first extended treatment of the Endymion myth in English... or people from Argonautica by Apollonius Rhodius or Gaius Valerius Flaccus Gaius Valerius Flaccus Gaius Valerius Flaccus was a Roman poet who flourished in the "Silver Age" under the emperors Vespasian and Titus and wrote a Latin Argonautica that owes a great deal to Apollonius of Rhodes' more famous epic.... . |
| Other | Non-crater features on Phoebe are named after places from Argonautica. |
PuckPuck (moon)Puck is an inner moon of Uranus. It was discovered in December 1985 by the Voyager 2 spacecraft. The name Puck comes from Celtic mythology and English folklore. The orbit of Puck lies between the rings of Uranus and the first of Uranus' large moons, Miranda. Puck is approximately spherical in...
Mischievous (Pucklike) spirits (class)MirandaMiranda (moon)-External links:* at * at The Nine8 Planets* at Views of the Solar System* * from the...
Characters, places from Shakespeare's playsArielAriel (moon)Ariel is the brightest and fourth-largest of the 27 known moons of Uranus. Ariel orbits and rotates in the equatorial plane of Uranus, which is almost perpendicular to the orbit of Uranus, and so has an extreme seasonal cycle....
Light spirits (individual and class)TitaniaTitania (moon)Titania is the largest of the moons of Uranus and the eighth largest moon in the Solar System at a diameter of 1578 km. Discovered by William Herschel in 1787, Titania is named after the queen of the fairies in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream...
Female Shakespearean characters, placesOberonOberon (moon)Oberon , also designated ', is the outermost major moon of the planet Uranus. It is the second largest and second most massive of the Uranian moons, and the ninth most massive moon in the Solar System. Discovered by William Herschel in 1787, Oberon is named after the mythical king of the fairies...
Shakespearean tragic heroes and placesSmall satellites
There are currently no named features on Uranian small satellites, however the naming convention is heroines from plays by Shakespeare and Pope.ProteusProteus (moon)Proteus , also known as Neptune VIII, is the second largest Neptunian moon, and Neptune's largest inner satellite. Discovered by Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1989, it is named after Proteus, the shape-changing sea god of Greek mythology...
Features on Proteus are to be named after water-related spirits, gods or goddesses who are neither Greek nor Roman. The only named feature on Proteus is Pharos.TritonTriton (moon)Triton is the largest moon of the planet Neptune, discovered on October 10, 1846, by English astronomer William Lassell. It is the only large moon in the Solar System with a retrograde orbit, which is an orbit in the opposite direction to its planet's rotation. At 2,700 km in diameter, it is...
Geological features on Triton should be assigned aquatic names, excluding those which are Roman and Greek in origin. Possible themes for individual descriptor terms include worldwide aquatic spirits, famous terrestrial fountains or fountain locations, terrestrial aquatic features, famous terrestrial geysers or geyser locations and terrestrial islands.NereidNereid (moon)Nereid , also known as Neptune II, is the third-largest moon of Neptune. It has a highly eccentric orbit. Nereid was discovered by Gerard Kuiper in 1949 and was the second moon of Neptune to be discovered.- Discovery and naming :...
There are currently no named features on Nereid. When features are discovered, they are to be named after individual nereidsNereids
In Greek mythology, the Nereids are sea nymphs, the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris, sisters to Nerites. They often accompany Poseidon and can be friendly and helpful to sailors fighting perilous storms. They are particularly associated with the Aegean Sea, where they dwelt with their father...
.
Small satellites
Features on other satellites of Neptune, once discovered, should be named after gods and goddesses associated with NeptuneNeptune (mythology)
Neptune was the god of water and the sea in Roman mythology and religion. He is analogous with, but not identical to, the Greek god Poseidon. In the Greek-influenced tradition, Neptune was the brother of Jupiter and Pluto, each of them presiding over one of the three realms of the universe,...
/Poseidon
Poseidon
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
mythology or generic mythological aquatic beings.
PlutoPlutoPluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...
There are currently no named features on Pluto because it is extremely difficult to resolve surface features with current telescopes. When discovered, either by telescopic observation or the New HorizonsNew Horizons
New Horizons is a NASA robotic spacecraft mission currently en route to the dwarf planet Pluto. It is expected to be the first spacecraft to fly by and study Pluto and its moons, Charon, Nix, Hydra and S/2011 P 1. Its estimated arrival date at the Pluto-Charon system is July 14th, 2015...
flyby in 2015, Plutonian surface features are to be named after underworld deities.
243 Ida243 Ida243 Ida is an asteroid in the Koronis family of the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 29 September 1884 by Johann Palisa and named after a nymph from Greek mythology. Later telescopic observations categorized Ida as an S-type asteroid, the most numerous type in the inner asteroid belt. On 28...
| Feature type | Naming convention |
|---|---|
| Craters | Caverns and grottos of the world |
| Dorsa | Galileo project Galileo spacecraft Galileo was an unmanned spacecraft sent by NASA to study the planet Jupiter and its moons. Named after the astronomer and Renaissance pioneer Galileo Galilei, it was launched on October 18, 1989 by the Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-34 mission... participants |
| Regiones | Discoverer of Ida and places associated with the discoverer |
(243) Ida I Dactyl
| Feature type | Naming convention |
|---|---|
| Craters | Idaean dactyls |
951 Gaspra951 Gaspra951 Gaspra is an S-type asteroid that orbits very close to the inner edge of the asteroid belt. Gaspra was the first asteroid ever to be closely approached when it was visited by the Galileo spacecraft, which flew by on its way to Jupiter on 29 October 1991.-Characteristics:Apart from a multitude...
| Feature type | Naming convention |
|---|---|
| Craters | Spas of the world |
| Regiones | Discoverer of Gaspra, and Galileo project Galileo spacecraft Galileo was an unmanned spacecraft sent by NASA to study the planet Jupiter and its moons. Named after the astronomer and Renaissance pioneer Galileo Galilei, it was launched on October 18, 1989 by the Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-34 mission... participants |
253 Mathilde253 Mathilde253 Mathilde is a main-belt asteroid about 50 km in diameter that was discovered by Johann Palisa in 1885. It has a relatively elliptical orbit that requires more than four years to circle the Sun. This asteroid has an unusually slow rate of rotation, requiring 17.4 days to complete a...
| Feature type | Naming convention |
|---|---|
| Craters | Coal fields and basins of the world |
433 Eros433 Eros433 Eros is a near-Earth asteroid discovered in 1898, and the first asteroid to be orbited by a probe . It is an S-type asteroid approximately 34.4×11.2×11.2 km in size, the second-largest NEA after 1036 Ganymed, and belongs to the Amor group.Eros is a Mars-crosser asteroid, the first known...
| Feature type | Naming convention |
|---|---|
| Craters | Mythological and legendary names of an erotic nature |
| Regiones | Discoverers of Eros |
| Dorsa | Scientists who have contributed to the exploration and study of Eros |
25143 Itokawa25143 Itokawa25143 Itokawa is an Apollo and Mars-crosser asteroid. It was the first asteroid to be the target of a sample return mission, the Japanese space probe Hayabusa.-Discovery and naming:...
The IAU has named craters and regiones on Itokawa but has not disclosed any naming conventions. See also
- Astronomical naming conventionsAstronomical naming conventionsIn ancient times, only the Sun and Moon, a few hundred stars and the most easily visible planets had names. Over the last few hundred years, the number of identified astronomical objects has risen from hundreds to over a billion, and more are discovered every year...
- Geological features of the solar systemGeological features of the solar systemRecommendation- Geology of solar terrestrial planetsThis is a directory of lists of geological features on other planets, moons and asteroids :- Mercury :* List of craters on Mercury...
- Naming of moons
- SelenographySelenographySelenography is the study of the surface and physical features of the Moon. Historically, the principal concern of selenographists was the mapping and naming of the lunar maria, craters, mountain ranges, and other various features...
- ToponymyToponymyToponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
, the scientific study of place-names (toponyms), their origins, meanings, use and typology.
External links
- Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)
- 'Planetary Names: How do we come up with them?', Planetary SocietyPlanetary SocietyThe Planetary Society is a large, publicly supported, non-government and non-profit organization that has many research projects related to astronomy...
weblog article by Rosaly LopesRosaly LopesDr. Rosaly M. C. Lopes-Gautier is a prominent planetary geologist, volcanologist, the author of numerous scientific papers and several books, as well as a great proponent of education...
, IAU WGPSN member - Members of the WGPSN
- Planetary Maps: Visualization and Nomenclature Cartographica 41/2 2006
- Development of a Local Toponym System at the Mars Desert Research Station Cartographica 42/2 2007
- APTN National News interviews Planetary Cartographer John Koulouris,(Esq.) on I.A.U. officially adopted Planetary Surface Feature Nomenclature attributed to Aboriginal Peoples' Cultures, People and Places
- Planetary Atlas of Venus in the Hellenic (Greek) and English Languages with I.A.U. adopted surface feature nomenclature as of 1984 created by: John A. Koulouris,(Esq.)