• Question: If you discovered a new planet , what would you call it ?

    Asked by to Nat, Nate, Roberto, Sam, Sarah on 23 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Nate Bastian

      Nate Bastian answered on 23 Jun 2014:

      Funkytown.

    • Photo: Sam Connolly

      Sam Connolly answered on 23 Jun 2014:

      It depends what the planet’s like! If it was a very volcanic planet, like Jupiter’s moon Io, I’d have to call it something fiery like Igneros. If it was icy like Jupiter’s moon Europa it would have to be a cold-sounding name like Froscerion. If it was like Earth it could be called loads of things though, it would be much harder… probably something from mythology, like Asgard 🙂

    • Photo: Natasha Stephen

      Natasha Stephen answered on 23 Jun 2014:

      Ooh, great question!

      There are lots of rules for naming new bodies in space! Craters on the Moon or Mars have to be named after certain people (famous scientists) or towns with fewer than 2,000 people living in them, and meteorites are named after the closest post-office (or town if there isn’t a post office!). New planets are usually named after their host star now, i.e. Kepler 10-b. But, if we’re ignoring all the rules, I would probably name a new planet either after one of my favourite authors (Tolkien, Hemmingway, Fitzgerald – though perhaps they’re too long) or after one of my favourite characters from one of their books!

    • Photo: Roberto Trotta

      Roberto Trotta answered on 23 Jun 2014:

      I would call it “Little Emma”, after my daughter.

    • Photo: Sarah Casewell

      Sarah Casewell answered on 23 Jun 2014:

      There are rules about this, but I think naming planets after literary characters is a great idea! My computer at work is called Binky after Terry Pratchet’s horse of death.

      I like asgard though as well Sam!

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