During the summer time of 2022, simply after the James Webb Space Telescope began sending us a gradual stream of deep-space postcards, astronomer Steven Finkelstein and his crew discovered a mysterious crimson splotch in a kind of information deliveries. They’d noticed one of many earliest galaxies people have ever laid eyes on — a realm that represented a distant pocket of the universe our species as soon as could not dream of seeing. And, importantly, they discovered it on Finkelstein’s daughter’s birthday, a serendipity that blessed this blob with a reputation: Maisie’s Galaxy.
But not each cosmic object has such a fairytale ending, nomenclature-wise. Someone lately tried to call one in every of Earth’s quasi-moons “Moony McMoonface,” and, satirically, the lore behind that is sort of a story.
Not too way back, Latif Nasser, host of the Radiolab podcast, went kind of viral as a result of he unintentionally named a quasi-moon “Zoozve.” The brief rationalization is that he was taking a look at a poster on his son’s wall that claimed Venus has a moon — a curious object named “Zoozve.” That raised some alarms as a result of, properly, to begin with, Venus does not have any moons — and second of all, what the hell is Zoozve? Turns out, Nasser was misreading the poster. In fact, it did not say Zoozve. It stated “2002VE,” in reference to one in every of Venus’ quasi-moons, area rocks that seem to orbit a planet like a moon, however are literally extra like asteroids orbiting the solar. It’s simply an phantasm.
Then, after a mini-saga, Nasser managed to get the International Astronomical Union (the group answerable for formally naming objects in area) to actually title 2002VE “Zoozve” — and, in honor of that, opened a contest to permit folks to strive naming one in every of Earth’s quasi-moons, 2004 GU9.
“Just pondering of the phrase ‘Zoozve’ (and shortly no matter new title the world votes on!) helps me bear in mind how a lot stuff is on the market that we simply barely perceive, how a lot stuff we will not actually management and but appears to not be hurting us, how a lot we people can collectively make bizarre that means and poetry out of the random bits of rock mud swirling round us,” Nasser informed Space.com.
And, properly, unsurprisingly, somebody submitted the title Moony McMoonface — a nod to that point folks have been invited to call a ship and Boaty McBoatface truly … received. Nasser and his fellow naming-contest panelists, nonetheless, have been good sufficient to permit 2004 GU9 to have an opportunity at being a cool child in our photo voltaic system.
“Off the highest of my head, the highest two submissions have been in all probability Quasimoondo and Moony McMoonFace, which, do not get me unsuitable, I truly love!” Nasser stated. “But, provided that we’re working with the official namers — the IAU — who’re following a protracted custom of naming issues in our photo voltaic system after mythology, we needed to rule them out.”
Concerning mythology, one of many main guidelines for this competitors the IAU set forth is that, no matter title 2004 GU9 will get, it have to be rooted in mythology. In truth, it may possibly get fairly difficult naming any cosmic object. Tons of submissions have to be vetted by the IAU for each technical and moral causes, and it is also typically fairly tough to choose cosmic names that’ll be used for hundreds of years to return. Renaming stuff is one other subject in itself. For occasion, scientists try to get the Magellanic Clouds renamed as a result of they weren’t truly found by Ferdinand Magellan, and Magellan was truly a assassin and a horrible particular person total. This has been met with criticism in some quarters, assist in others and, inevitably, paperwork. So, whenever you choose an area object’s title — it higher be a superb one.
The fascinating factor in regards to the mythology side, although, is that the mythological that means may fall underneath any tradition’s mythology, per IAU guidelines. “To me, an important factor a couple of title was that it had a superb backstory that honored the tradition it got here from and that felt linked not directly to the quasi-moon itself,” Nasser stated.
On one hand, that preemptively eliminates some intelligent contenders — I used to be an enormous fan of the title suggestion “Zooagug,” which is what you’d get if you happen to misinterpret 2004GU9 on a poster the way in which Nasser misinterpret Zoozve — nevertheless it actually did not forestall the crew from getting some superior submissions nonetheless.
The panelists, which ranged from Bill Nye the Science Guy and “Gossip Girl” actor Penn Badgley to theoretical physicist Sean Carroll and astrophysicist Wanda Diaz Merced, got here up with a closing seven choices.
The first is “Bakunawa,” in reference to a moon-eating, serpent-like dragon in Filipino mythology that is stated to trigger eclipses and earthquakes. The second is Cardea, who, in Roman mythology, is the goddess of the door hinge and protects properties from receiving evil intruders. The third is Ehaema, a nocturnal spirit in Estonian mythology. The fourth is Enkidu, a legendary determine and pal of the enduring Gilgamesh in Mesopotamian (Sumerian) mythology. The fifth is Ótr, who, in Norse mythology, may take any type however often picked that of an otter. The sixth is Tarriaksuk, in reference to humanoid shadow beings that exist in one other dimension, in accordance with Inuit mythology — and the final is Tecciztecatl, a lunar deity representing the “man on the moon” in Aztec mythology.
“There have been so many names from so many cultures that I — and all of us on the crew — fell in love with that did not work for one or another excuse,” he stated. “For occasion, we dominated many names out as a result of there have been already area objects with these names. Or, in different circumstances, we spoke to somebody from that tradition who stated they did not assume it acceptable to make use of that title in that manner.”
“It’s humorous,” he continued. “Sometimes folks thought a reputation was not good or necessary or lofty sufficient for use in area. Sometimes it was the reverse; folks pondering that giving this title to a lowly quasi-moon was akin to a demotion for the title. It took me a minute, however I got here to grasp each of these positions.”
This complete saga brings into focus a number of issues. Most clearly, it actually enhances the truth that our precise moon doesn’t have a reputation in any respect. Mars’ moons Phobos and Deimos have names, all of the planets have names, together with exoplanets that solely go by their routinely generated ones, and even the solar has a reputation. We do not name the solar, “star,” so why is our moon simply “moon?”
According to NASA, our moon merely shares a reputation with all moons “as a result of folks did not know different moons existed till Galileo Galilei found 4 moons orbiting Jupiter in 1610. The closest distinctive “title” our moon has is “Luna,” which is its title in Latin and the place “lunar” comes from as a descriptor of moon stuff — and a few argue moon with a capital M is sufficient of a correct title for it — however on the finish of the day, our moon is “moon.” Because a lot time has handed, I ponder if there isn’t any title for the moon that will ever really feel “proper.”
What this implies is {that a} quasi-moon of Earth (our planet has seven, to be clear) is getting extra naming consideration than our very personal beloved moon. For instance, the panelists determined it was crucial that all of them meet up in a single place to deliberate. No phone-tag; no texts left unread.
“We needed to discover a time when all of our panelists may meet just about and make the case for names that they beloved. But our panelists have been all very busy, spectacular folks scattered throughout so many time zones — from Hawaii and Haiti and Ghana to Poland and Japan and South Africa and on and on.”
“It wasn’t simple, however we ended up discovering one hour that labored for almost everyone,” he stated. “One of the highschool college students even needed to go away at precisely the tip of the hour as a result of that was the tip of their lunch break!”
All that is left? To vote on the most effective title, which you are able to do by means of Jan. 1, 2025.
“At a time when there’s a lot division and worry and distrust, we’re excited to create one thing that reminds us of what we share: the sky,” Nasser stated. “I think about folks from all totally different cultures debating the names with their family members at their dinner tables, the way in which I do know I’m going to with my youngsters. And collectively we’ll all get to call one thing that may outlive us all!
“Feels actually monumental!”
