Throughout the summer time of 2022, simply after the James Webb Area Telescope began sending us a gentle stream of deep-space postcards, astronomer Stephen Finkelstein and his staff discovered a mysterious crimson splotch in a kind of knowledge 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.
However not each cosmic object has such a fairytale ending, nomenclature-wise. Somebody just lately tried to call one among Earth’s quasi-moons “Moony McMoonface,” and, sarcastically, the lore behind that is sort of a story.
Not too way back, Latif Nasser, host of the Radiolab podcast, went type of viral as a result of he by accident named a quasi-moon “Zoozve.” The brief clarification is that he was 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, nicely, to start with, Venus does not have any moons — and second of all, what the hell is Zoozve? Seems, Nasser was misreading the poster. In reality, it did not say Zoozve. It mentioned “2002VE,” in reference to one among Venus’ quasi-moons, area rocks that seem to orbit a planet like a moon, however are literally extra like asteroids orbiting the solar. It is simply an phantasm.
Then, after a mini-saga, Nasser managed to get the Worldwide Astronomical Union (the group in command of formally naming objects in area) to actually identify 2002VE “Zoozve” — and, in honor of that, opened a contest to permit individuals to strive naming one among Earth’s quasi-moons, 2004 GU9.
“Simply pondering of the phrase ‘Zoozve’ (and shortly no matter new identify 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 which means and poetry out of the random bits of rock mud swirling round us,” Nasser informed Area.com.
And, nicely, unsurprisingly, somebody submitted the identify Moony McMoonface — a nod to that point individuals have been invited to call a ship and Boaty McBoatface truly … gained. Nasser and his fellow naming-contest panelists, nevertheless, 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 flawed, I truly love!” Nasser mentioned. “However, 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.”
Regarding mythology, one of many main guidelines for this competitors the IAU set forth is that, no matter identify 2004 GU9 will get, it should be rooted in mythology. Actually, it will possibly get fairly difficult naming any cosmic object. Tons of submissions should 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 concern in itself. For example, 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 individual general. This has been met with criticism in some quarters, help in others and, inevitably, paperwork. So, if you decide an area object’s identify — it higher be a superb one.
The fascinating factor concerning the mythology side, although, is that the mythological which means might fall underneath any tradition’s mythology, per IAU guidelines. “To me, an important factor a couple of identify 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 mentioned.
On one hand, that preemptively eliminates some intelligent contenders — I used to be an enormous fan of the identify suggestion “Zooagug,” which is what you’d get when you misinterpret 2004GU9 on a poster the way in which Nasser misinterpret Zoozve — however it actually did not forestall the staff from getting some superior submissions nonetheless.
The panelists, which ranged from Invoice Nye the Science Man and “Gossip Woman” actor Penn Badgley to theoretical physicist Sean Carroll and astrophysicist Wanda Diaz Merced, got here up with a remaining seven choices.
The primary is “Bakunawa,” in reference to a moon-eating, serpent-like dragon in Filipino mythology that is mentioned 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 long-lasting Gilgamesh in Mesopotamian (Sumerian) mythology. The fifth is Ótr, who, in Norse mythology, might take any kind however often picked that of an otter. The sixth is Tarriaksuk, in reference to humanoid shadow beings that exist in one other dimension, in keeping 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 staff — fell in love with that did not work for one or another excuse,” he mentioned. “For example, we dominated many names out as a result of there have been already area objects with these names. Or, in different instances, we spoke to somebody from that tradition who mentioned they did not suppose it acceptable to make use of that identify in that means.”
“It is humorous,” he continued. “Generally individuals thought a reputation was not good or necessary or lofty sufficient for use in area. Generally it was the reverse; individuals pondering that giving this identify to a lowly quasi-moon was akin to a demotion for the identify. It took me a minute, however I got here to grasp each of these positions.”
This entire saga brings into focus a couple 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 mechanically generated ones, and even the solar has a reputation. We do not name the solar, “star,” so why is our moon simply “moon?”
In accordance to NASA, our moon merely shares a reputation with all moons “as a result of individuals did not know different moons existed till Galileo Galilei found 4 moons orbiting Jupiter in 1610. The closest distinctive “identify” our moon has is “Luna,” which is its identify 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 identify for it — however on the finish of the day, our moon is “moon.” As a result of a lot time has handed, I’m wondering if there is no such thing as a identify 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 wished to discover a time when all of our panelists might meet just about and make the case for names that they beloved. However our panelists have been all very busy, spectacular individuals 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 straightforward, however we ended up discovering one hour that labored for almost all people,” he mentioned. “One of many highschool college students even needed to depart 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 very best identify, which you are able to do by 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 mentioned. “I think about individuals from all completely different cultures debating the names with their family members at their dinner tables, the way in which I do know I’ll with my children. And collectively we are going to all get to call one thing that can outlive us all!
“Feels actually monumental!”
