Cast Your Vote to Name Pluto's Two Newest Moons

02/19/2013 02:44AM

Cast Your Vote to Name Pluto's Two Newest Moons

Images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2011 and 2012 revealed two previously unknown moons of Pluto. So far, the moons are referred to as P4 and P5, but the time has come to give them permanent names. By tradition, the names of Pluto's moons come from Greek and Roman mythology and are related to the ancient tales about Hades and the Underworld. The P4/P5 Discovery Team will be proposing names for the two new moons to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), and is asking for your help in making the selections. An online poll has been set-up by the SETI Institute and Dr. Mark Showalter on behalf of the P4/P5 Discovery Team and they are requesting your input. There are twenty one candidate names, so pick your favorites on the online ballot. The top five choices so far are Vulcan, Cerberus, Styx, Persephone, and Orpheus. Voting ends at noon EST on Monday February 25, 2013.


Comments:

Article states mass on Moon is 0.01% of Earth's mass. This is incorrect as the Moon's mass is 1.23% of Earth's mass.