Pluto's New Moons Named Nix and Hydra

Dean W, Armstrong writes "Pluto's two new satellites, previously identified as S/2005 P 2 and S/2005 P 1, received official names from the International Astronomical Union today. Nix and Hydra are named after the mother of Charon and the fierce nine-headed monster. The initials of the new names, N and H, call to mind the New Horizons spacecraft, on a fast trajectory to visit Pluto, just like Pluto's symbol calls to mind Percival Lowell."

Comments

Compromise

[tekisama]

This was after Goofy and Minnie were rejected.

Unix

[Dachannien]

They originally wanted to name it Unix, but SCO threatened to sue.

Oh, you mean hydra.

[AltGrendel]

I thought you wrote "Hydrant"

Pluto could use a hydrant.

Re:Must remember not to holiday there.

[tekisama]

As if the temperatures below 50 Kelvins wasn't a deterrent. Besides, one is only like 40 miles across. Enough space for an Arco station and a Starbucks.

Re:Pluto? Hydra?

[eln]

One orbits around the other.

When the Chinese Moon Missions sends a rocket

[WillAffleckUW]

to Pluto, maybe Cosmonaut Li can land on Nix.

Li nix - a good thing.

Re:Must remember not to holiday there.

[Red Flayer]

Besides, one is only like 40 miles across. Enough space for an Arco station and a Starbucks.

Where have you been? 40 miles is enough space for at least 80 Starbucks. More if you've got a mall on the moon.