New Moons of Pluto Named Kerberos and Styx; Popular Choice 'Vulcan' Snubbed

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New Moons of Pluto Named Kerberos and Styx; Popular Choice 'Vulcan' Snubbed

Posted by Soulskill on Tuesday July 2, 2013 @06:16AM from the you-have-defied-the-will-of-the-internet dept.

MarkWhittington writes "The International Astronomical Union announced on July 2, 2013 its picks to name the two recently discovered moons of Pluto, hitherto known as P4 and P5. They will now be known as Kerberos and Styx respectively. In Greek and Roman mythology Kerberos is the name of the mythological three headed hound that guards the entrance to the underworld. Styx is the name of the river that separated the underworld from the real world. The names, picked in a popular contest, were actually the second and third choices. The first choice was Vulcan, which was officially touted because it was the name of a Roman god who was a relative of Pluto's and was associated with fire and smoke. The real reason that Vulcan shot up to the top of the list was that was a choice by Star Trek fans in a campaign instigated by actor William Shatner, who played Captain James Kirk in the original series." Shatner is sad and may lead a revolt. Phil Plait wins the award for best headline for this news.

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Styx Rawks! by Sponge+Bath · 2013-07-02 06:20 · Score: 3, Funny

Why must you be such an angry young man?
1. Re:Styx Rawks! by scuzzlebutt · 2013-07-02 06:21 · Score: 1
  
  Your future looks quite bright to me.
  
  --
  In C++, your friends can see your privates.
2. Re:Styx Rawks! by BenSchuarmer · 2013-07-02 06:27 · Score: 2
  
  Domo arigato
3. Re:Styx Rawks! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 06:34 · Score: 0
  
  Because he has too much time on his hands.
4. Re:Styx Rawks! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 06:48 · Score: 1
  
  I thought that they were angels, but much to my surprise, a bunch of stuff from Hades is up in Pluto's skies
5. Re:Styx Rawks! by Ol+Biscuitbarrel · 2013-07-02 06:50 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Joel: Hey, c'mon, I'm serious. There existed a time when our nation took pride in its service stations. They gleamed like a beacon of hope from coast to coast. Then, ka-blooey, Sky Chief Super Service turned into the Tank and Tummy. I don't mind telling you, the day this country went self-service was the day Hell began to bubble up and flood the earth.
  Crow: Well, I hate to burst your bubble, Joel, but what about the bubonic plague? World war? Stalin?
  Joel: Well, those are all big things. Hell works better when it's a lot more subtle. Here, I'll give you an example. Okay, Crow, what do you think of Adolf Hitler?
  Crow: Well, I hate him, naturally.
  Joel: Right. Now, what do you think of the band Styx?
  Crow: Well, they had one or two decent...Oh my God, you're right!
6. Re:Styx Rawks! by sconeu · 2013-07-02 07:23 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  I think you've got too much time on your hands.
  
  --
  General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
7. Re:Styx Rawks! by SteveFoerster · 2013-07-02 14:25 · Score: 1
  
  These terrible jokes! I've gotten weary and I've had enough!
  
  --
  Space game using normal deck of cards: http://BattleCards.org
8. Re:Styx Rawks! by sconeu · 2013-07-02 17:46 · Score: 1
  
  Feel like giving up?
  
  --
  General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
Shred of dignity by onyxruby · 2013-07-02 06:20 · Score: 3, Funny

Thankfully real space programs prefer to operate with a shred of dignity and class. Next thing you know we would have demands to name a moon somewhere after a character from Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
1. Re:Shred of dignity by ArcadeMan · 2013-07-02 06:24 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  We demand to have a moon called Usagi, just to piss off people like you.
  
  --
  Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
2. Re:Shred of dignity by White+Flame · 2013-07-02 06:27 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Kerberos and Styx were the equivalent of Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters thousands of years ago.
3. Re:Shred of dignity by RDW · 2013-07-02 06:30 · Score: 1
  
  No chance for Buffy if NASA wouldn't even name an ISS module 'Serenity', even when they thought up the name and it won the popular vote ('Colbert' excepted):
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tranquility_(ISS_module)#Naming_contest
4. Re:Shred of dignity by ackthpt · 2013-07-02 06:41 · Score: 1
  
  Thankfully real space programs prefer to operate with a pretext of a shred of dignity and class. Next thing you know we would have demands to name a moon somewhere after a character from Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
  Or a warrior princess...
  Whose moons are these, some stinkin' committee, which allowed a bunch of frauds to demote Pluto to "dwarf planet" with disgusting act of skulduggery?
  
  --
  
  A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
5. Re:Shred of dignity by spire3661 · 2013-07-02 06:52 · Score: 2
  
  Space Shuttle Enterprise (OV-101) wasnt named after the aircraft carrier........
  
  --
  Good-bye
6. Re:Shred of dignity by 0racle · 2013-07-02 07:24 · Score: 1
  
  I approve of this message.
  
  --
  "I use a Mac because I'm just better than you are."
7. Re:Shred of dignity by rubycodez · 2013-07-02 07:36 · Score: 2
  
  Ceberos was, but Styx would be more like the StarGate
8. Re:Shred of dignity by dan828 · 2013-07-02 07:52 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Well, there were at least 6 ships named "Enterprise" in the US Navy, and the likelihood is that when Roddenberry was choosing the a name for his fictional vessel, he named it after either the WW2 Carrier (which was the most decorated warship in US history) or the newer Enterprise which was the US's first nuclear powered carrier. So pretty much, the shuttle was named after a US Navy ship, albeit indirectly.
9. Re:Shred of dignity by Somebody+Is+Using+My · 2013-07-02 07:54 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Although if they are so interested in "dignity" and "class", then perhaps they shouldn't use a popularity contest to determine the results (or at least claim to be doing so, if they intend to ignore the results anyway).
  The people (or at least the subset of the people who care enough about this to actually vote) made their voice heard. Claiming first that their opinion is worth listening to by holding the contest and then ignoring it when the results don't match their expectations only makes the IAU look doubly foolish.
10. Re:Shred of dignity by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 07:57 · Score: 0
  
  But the punchline was that after the trekkies begged and pleaded and petitioned *back in the days when a petition involved the use of ink and dead trees* they got OV-101. The OV that NEVER WENT INTO "O".
  Cue the Nelson Laugh.
11. Re:Shred of dignity by ShanghaiBill · 2013-07-02 08:07 · Score: 2
  
  Although if they are so interested in "dignity" and "class", then perhaps they shouldn't use a popularity contest to determine the results
  They didn't.
  
  (or at least claim to be doing so, if they intend to ignore the results anyway).
  They didn't do this either. The rules of the naming vote were quite clear: the results would be considered, but would be non-binding.
  If you don't like the names they chose, then don't use them. You and your friends are free to call the moons anything you like.
12. Re:Shred of dignity by Antipater · 2013-07-02 08:27 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Unless the StarGate has a personified form and wasn't just a gate (never saw any of the series), then not really. Rivers in Greek and Roman mythology were minor gods who could take bodily form. Styx, in her goddess form, was a character of moderate importance in the war between the gods and the Titans.
  
  --
  Everything is better with chainsaws.
13. Re:Shred of dignity by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 11:00 · Score: 1
  
  How did the voters miss the CowboyNeal option?
14. Re:Shred of dignity by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 11:21 · Score: 0
  
  That would be so awesome!
15. Re:Shred of dignity by datavirtue · 2013-07-02 12:25 · Score: 1
  
  Never saw the Star Gate series? You, my friend, are in for a treat.
  
  --
  I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
16. Re:Shred of dignity by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 15:06 · Score: 0
  
  Luckily, there is no planet(oid) named after that. Xena was only a temporary name.
17. Re:Shred of dignity by rubycodez · 2013-07-03 02:42 · Score: 1
  
  no, he only needs to see the few minutes with Vaitaire Bandera nude. that's the treat. the rest is campy hokey-ness
18. Re:Shred of dignity by RockDoctor · 2013-07-05 02:14 · Score: 1
  
  Whose moons are these, some stinkin' committee,
  
  In terms of naming, yes.
  Oh, sorry, didn't you know that? Is it relevant to the discussion?
  In other news (to you, probably), you too could get to be a member of that committee. All it would take would be around 10 hours of work as an astronomer. Every day. For the next twenty years.
  In better news, you too could get onto the committee tomorrow, if you had a time machine that would take you back so that you can do the requisite work.
  
  --
  Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
Wrong names by ArcadeMan · 2013-07-02 06:21 · Score: 4, Funny

P4 should obviously have been named "FDIV" and P5 should have been "Core Solo".

--
Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
1. Re:Wrong names by Type44Q · 2013-07-02 10:50 · Score: 2
  
  I'd suggest NetBurstIntoFlames and Core2Little2Late. :)
Finally they are recognized! by h4rr4r · 2013-07-02 06:23 · Score: 4, Funny

I am glad to finally see Styx get the recognition they deserve. I can't believe took this long though.
1. Re:Finally they are recognized! by musth · 2013-07-02 06:34 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Yeah, Rush and Pink Floyd should be next.
2. Re:Finally they are recognized! by ackthpt · 2013-07-02 06:42 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah, Rush and Pink Floyd should be next.
  Brace yourself, they're probably Journey fans.
  
  --
  
  A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
3. Re:Finally they are recognized! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 06:57 · Score: 0
  
  I'm sailing away...
4. Re:Finally they are recognized! by Danathar · 2013-07-02 07:02 · Score: 0
  
  Which Styx do you mean? the one where all but 2 of the original band members are left? Or the ACTUAL band from the 70's...
5. Re:Finally they are recognized! by Danathar · 2013-07-02 07:06 · Score: 0
  
  Pleas don't put Rush in the same thread as Styx and Floyd.
  Rush is playing better now and with more complexity then they did since the late 70's and early 80's. They also are all ORIGINAL band members.
  Only one band can get away with rotating members in and out without anybody caring, and that's Chicago. I never knew the members in Chicago and as far as I can remember nobody else does either, but the band continues to exist and people like them...
6. Re:Finally they are recognized! by fustakrakich · 2013-07-02 07:40 · Score: 1
  
  What?! They suck! I'd start a revolt too. If they want to name something 'Styx', make it the rings of Uranus.
  
  --
  “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
7. Re: Finally they are recognized! by jd2112 · 2013-07-02 08:09 · Score: 1
  
  Neal Peart was not the original drummer for Rush. He joined for the second album.
  
  --
  Any insufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.
8. Re:Finally they are recognized! by six025 · 2013-07-02 08:10 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  Pleas don't put Rush in the same thread as Styx and Floyd.
  Not to nitpick, but you just put all 3 in the same sentence ;-)
9. Re:Finally they are recognized! by PPH · 2013-07-02 08:27 · Score: 1
  
  If we are going with the band name theme, I vote for a series based on Zappa/Mothers of Invention.
  
  --
  Have gnu, will travel.
10. Re:Finally they are recognized! by mill3d · 2013-07-02 09:47 · Score: 1
  
  MoonUnit..?
  
  --
  Nothing is enough for whom enough is too little - Confucius
11. Re: Finally they are recognized! by danlip · 2013-07-02 10:04 · Score: 1
  
  True, and Ringo was not the original drummer for the Beatles, but it's kinda silly to count it that way.
12. Re:Finally they are recognized! by datavirtue · 2013-07-02 12:28 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah, I priced the tickets--I wanted--at a recent Rush concert at about $900 US.
  
  --
  I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
13. Re:Finally they are recognized! by datavirtue · 2013-07-02 12:29 · Score: 1
  
  Two tickets
  
  --
  I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
14. Re:Finally they are recognized! by datavirtue · 2013-07-02 12:31 · Score: 1
  
  Hold on! What the hell is the name of our moon?! Moon? I think WE need a committee. The damned thing isn't even named and we're worried about Pluto? I propose Minerva.
  
  --
  I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
15. Re:Finally they are recognized! by cpt+kangarooski · 2013-07-02 13:27 · Score: 1
  
  Nah, a Stanford Torus style space station would be a better fit for Journey.
  
  --
  -- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
16. Re:Finally they are recognized! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 14:40 · Score: 0
  
  Surely you knew who Peter Cetera was, no?
17. Re:Finally they are recognized! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 16:08 · Score: 1
  
  Hold on! What the hell is the name of our moon?! Moon?
  Luna.
18. Re:Finally they are recognized! by Darth+Hubris · 2013-07-02 18:36 · Score: 1
  
  Oh man, didn't Stanford Torus open for Styx in '78?
  
  --
  The party's over ... the drink ... and the luck ... ran out
19. Re:Finally they are recognized! by TheSeatOfMyPants · 2013-07-02 20:06 · Score: 1
  
  As far as I'd ever heard, it has been known in the West as "Luna" from the Roman goddess personifying it, and the term "lunar" was derived from it. However, NASA evidently decided at some point to formally (re)name it "The Moon" because Modern English doesn't give separate terms for that specific moon and other ones. It seems more to me like the kind of move made to pander to the growing population of anti-intellectual/anti-education people.
  
  --
  Now mostly at Usenet:comp.misc & SoylentNews.org (it's made of people!)
20. Re:Finally they are recognized! by FluffyBob · 2013-07-03 01:36 · Score: 1
  
  In that case we should certainly name the first gigantic, floating, guitar-shaped space city 'Boston'.
21. Re: Finally they are recognized! by Danathar · 2013-07-03 05:01 · Score: 1
  
  Good point! Still, it misses the idea, which is the members that people expect as they attained starhood are still the same as today.
22. Re:Finally they are recognized! by Danathar · 2013-07-03 05:02 · Score: 1
  
  I do, but if you asked the average person on the street in the 80's to list the band members from Chicago I doubt they could.
23. Re:Finally they are recognized! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-03 05:27 · Score: 0
  
  He already has a meteor
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3834_Zappafrank
24. Re:Finally they are recognized! by cpt+kangarooski · 2013-07-04 07:06 · Score: 1
  
  Good idea, and we can travel there aboard Jefferson Starship.
  
  --
  -- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
Moon? by RDW · 2013-07-02 06:24 · Score: 5, Funny

That's no moon, that's a [ FRANCHISE ERROR DETECTED - Resetting]
1. Re:Moon? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 08:10 · Score: 0
  
  That one's already revolving around Saturn.
So sick of popular geek culture. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 06:25 · Score: 0, Flamebait

Please leave it to those of us who actually know the mechanisms of space and have seen more of it through an eyepiece than a "science" channel show.

And as for your Star Wars/Star Trek fetish? Grow up. That same with you Big Bang losers. I don't give a crap about your stinking show. Don't mention it to me. I don't want to know anymore about it.
1. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2013-07-02 06:27 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  I'm assuming that I shouldn't come to you with my "They should have named them 'Kerberos' and 'LDAP'" suggestion?
2. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by White+Flame · 2013-07-02 06:30 · Score: 2
  
  At first I thought this read "So sick of popular _greek_ culture", to which I'd agree. If we're going to draw from mythological names for astronomy, there are plenty to choose from beyond the typical Roman & Greek ones, both modern and ancient.
3. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by Stormwatch · 2013-07-02 06:35 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Indeed. We could call it Jesus.
  
  --
  Circumcision is child abuse.
4. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by ArcadeMan · 2013-07-02 06:38 · Score: 2
  
  So what? The names used for celestial bodies all come from somewhere, we're all sick of millennia-old references from Greek culture.
  
  --
  Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
5. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 06:47 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  No let's keep the Greek culture references. The next two moons discovered should be named Taxfraud and Bankruptcy.
6. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by arth1 · 2013-07-02 06:57 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  So what? The names used for celestial bodies all come from somewhere, we're all sick of millennia-old references from Greek culture.
  The Uranian system doesn't have Greek names - Oberon, Titania, Ariel, Umbriel, Puck, Miranda...
  And, of course, the Tellurian system doesn't either.
7. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 07:01 · Score: 0
  
  Oh, and 'Kerberos', 'LDAP' and 'AFS' would make it the magic trio!
8. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by Dr.+Sheldon+Cooper · 2013-07-02 07:31 · Score: 1
  
  We don't need to mention it to you, as everything one would want to know about that absolutely wonderful television program can be easily found here.
  
  You're welcome.
  
  --
  Bazinga.
9. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 07:38 · Score: 0
  
  If you don't want to see mention of Big bang Theory, Star Trek, or Star Wars, you're on the wrrong web site. Perhaps Fox News or the Wall Street Journal would be more up your alley?
10. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 07:40 · Score: 0
  
  I'm assuming that I shouldn't come to you with my "They should have named them 'Kerberos' and 'LDAP'" suggestion?
  Wrong planet.
  Those are found around Uranus.
  capcha: mooned :-D
11. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by maxwell+demon · 2013-07-02 07:46 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  No, Jesus should clearly become the name of an Asteroid. One that has the chance to once get to earth and terminate life. Then even atheists can talk about how Jesus will come to the world and end it.
  
  --
  The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
12. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 07:54 · Score: 0
  
  It coud've been worse. At least it wasn't 'Kansas' and 'REO Speedwagon'.
13. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 08:01 · Score: 1
  
  We don't need to mention it to you, as everything one would want to know about that formulaic sitcom with hamfisted geek culture references can be easily found here.
  You're welcome.
  FTFY.
14. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by Spottywot · 2013-07-02 08:27 · Score: 1
  
  Fuck off then.
  
  --
  In a cybernetic fit of rage she pissed off to another age...
15. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 08:34 · Score: 0
  
  Various astronomical bodies have naming themes, whether it be systems of moons, or craters on a particular body, etc. Many of them are not Greek themed, and in the case of Uranus, the moon names have a theme of Shakespeare and Pope characters. Other bodies use themes ranging from artists to specific themed gods from any culture to "various coal fields."
16. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 08:42 · Score: 0
  
  We are literally the only thing other than militaries that keeps space research funded. So fuck you, you are our bitch, and unless you want to go back to building shit strictly to blow people up, you had best keep that in mind.
17. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by instagib · 2013-07-02 09:07 · Score: 1
  
  It coud've been worse. At least it wasn't 'Kansas' and 'REO Speedwagon'.
  Speaking of 80's rock, even worse would be a moon named 'Europe'. Oh wait...!
18. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by fahrbot-bot · 2013-07-02 09:38 · Score: 1
  
  The Uranian system doesn't have Greek names - Oberon, Titania, Ariel, Umbriel, Puck, Miranda...
  I heard Miranda had some sort of terraforming accident, but is pretty quiet now.
  
  --
  It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
19. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by wonkey_monkey · 2013-07-02 09:47 · Score: 1
  
  That same with you Big Bang losers. I don't give a crap about your stinking show. Don't mention it to me. I don't want to know anymore about it.
  That's weird, the only person I can see mentioning it right now is you, so...
  
  --
  systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
20. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by arth1 · 2013-07-02 09:58 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  I heard Miranda had some sort of terraforming accident, but is pretty quiet now.
  Of course it is. It has the right to remain silent.
21. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by evilviper · 2013-07-02 10:11 · Score: 1
  
  Jesus is a pretty common hispanic name. You might as well open up the big book of baby names and go to town...
  I'm off to planet "Steve"...
  
  --
  Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
22. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 11:05 · Score: 0
  
  Why not name them Duran and Duran? There's two.
23. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by SteveFoerster · 2013-07-02 14:31 · Score: 2
  
  Speaking of 80's rock, even worse would be a moon named 'Europe'. Oh wait...!
  You definitely want to attempt no landing there!
  
  --
  Space game using normal deck of cards: http://BattleCards.org
24. Re:So sick of popular geek culture. by SteveFoerster · 2013-07-02 14:33 · Score: 1
  
  Hey, hold on there, this is a pretty exclusive place.
  
  --
  Space game using normal deck of cards: http://BattleCards.org
Good. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 06:30 · Score: 0

If we're going to name anything Vulcan... it should be the first planet that we find intelligent life on :-/
1. Re:Good. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 06:41 · Score: 0
  
  If we're going to name anything Vulcan... it should be the first planet that we find intelligent life on :-/
  Don't you think they may already have a name for it?
  (Smivs - Posting as A/C due to modding)
2. Re:Good. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 07:02 · Score: 0
  
  It'll have to be translated to English at some point. Why not claim Vulcan is our word for ?
3. Re:Good. by gmuslera · 2013-07-02 07:31 · Score: 1
  
  It will be in another solar system, in this one there isn't a single planet with intelligent life yet.
4. Re:Good. by maxwell+demon · 2013-07-02 07:48 · Score: 1
  
  So you say the dolphins aren't intelligent?
  
  --
  The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
5. Re:Good. by gmuslera · 2013-07-02 08:00 · Score: 1
  
  They are still here, after all.
6. Re:Good. by mark-t · 2013-07-02 08:55 · Score: 1
  
  When translating it to english, why not just spell it like it sounds, or as close as we can get to it, instead of calling it something that sounds completely different?
  
  --
  File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
7. Re:Good. by ElectricTurtle · 2013-07-02 09:24 · Score: 1
  
  Because people won't mangle the pronunciation of "Germany" as often or as badly as the might mangle "Deutschland" for instance. This is why I still say "Burma" instead of "Myanmar". As far as I'm concerned, it's the English word for Myanmar. And if you disagree, I expect you to start calling Sweden "Sverige" immediately.
  
  --
  I support the Slashcott and will not be reading or commenting from 2/10/14 to 2/17/14. Beta is steaming pile of dog shit
8. Re:Good. by mrbester · 2013-07-02 09:25 · Score: 1
  
  Well according to the reboot there isn't a planet Vulcan anymore, so it seems appropriate that there isn't a moon Vulcan either...
  
  --
  "Wait. Something's happening. It's opening up! My God, it's full of apricots!"
9. Re:Good. by mark-t · 2013-07-02 09:54 · Score: 1
  
  I never suggested I would disagree with specific examples where it doesn't appear to apply, but much more often than not, the name of something in anything other than its original language bears much more than just a passing resemblance to its pronunciation in the original, and when significant variations do exist, they are often still more a consequence of different phonetic structures between two languages than simply a new name assigned to it (your example of Sweden illustrates this, and is a fair Anglicization of how they pronounce the name of their own country). The name we have for places like Germany is an example of something else entirely... and shouldn't be taken to be the general rule when translating names (in fact, Germany is technically not a translation at all, but a unique word derived from a word that the ancient Romans used for them which, if I remember correctly, meant something similar to "neighbor". The word would come to refer to the name of their country amongst the Romans long before it became common knowledge that they called their own homeland something else entirely).
  
  --
  File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
10. Re:Good. by Molochi · 2013-07-02 10:55 · Score: 1
  
  I'd be fine if they just reserved the name for any planet in the Eridanus systems.
  
  --
  "The Adobe Updater must update itself before it can check for updates. Would you like to update the Adobe Updater now?"
11. Re:Good. by RockDoctor · 2013-07-05 02:24 · Score: 1
  
  You are the "they". Or at least, you could be if you go and do the work to be recognised in the exoplanet-hunting community ass being the prime expert on any exoplanetary system in Eridanus. Of which there are 29 candidates out of about 87 naked-eye stars. Were you thinking particularly of Epsilon Eridani, this being the closest to us?
  
  --
  Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
Don't blame me by JustOK · 2013-07-02 06:30 · Score: 2

Don't blame me, I voted for Kang.

--
rewriting history since 2109
keep synced by nedwidek · 2013-07-02 06:30 · Score: 1

So if your system clock is off by more than 5 minutes, does Kerberos disappear?

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Post anonymously - For when your opinion embarrasses even you!
1. Re:keep synced by St.Creed · 2013-07-02 07:38 · Score: 1
  
  If your own system clock is off, you disappear. But if the Global Solar Timer (GST) is off by more than 5 celestial minutes, then yes, Kerberos *does* disappear.
  Any more questions while I'm here? :)
  
  --
  Therefore, by the (faulty) logic you're using, you're just a cow with a keyboard - osu-neko (2604)
Some contest by wcrowe · 2013-07-02 06:33 · Score: 5, Insightful

1. I agree with the name choices because they make sense...
However...
2. What is the point of having a contest if you're not going to pick the winner?
They should not hold a naming contest if they're just going to pick the names they want anyway.

--
Proverbs 21:19
1. Re:Some contest by ArcadeMan · 2013-07-02 06:40 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  They should not hold a naming contest if they're just going to pick the names they want anyway.
  Sounds like voting in the USA and Canada.
  
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  Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
2. Re:Some contest by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 06:53 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Because this way, it's democratic. That's how democracy works: the upper class lets you vote for what you want before doing what they want.
3. Re:Some contest by Teun · 2013-07-02 07:12 · Score: 1
  
  Indeed, a lack of credible candidates :)
  
  --
  "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
4. Re:Some contest by westlake · 2013-07-02 07:37 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  2. What is the point of having a contest if you're not going to pick the winner?
  They should not hold a naming contest if they're just going to pick the names they want anyway.
  The IAU makes these decisions.
  Showalter's contest was no more than a publicity stunt. That said, the rules were clear.
  
  For two weeks in February, anyone with a computer could vote for their favorite names, or suggest ideas of their own. The caveats: Names needed to represent characters bearing more than just a passing relation to Pluto, the Greek god of the underworld, and must not have already been bestowed upon a celestial solar system object.
  The People Have Spoken, and Pluto's Tiny Moons Have Names
  Vulcan --- Hephaestus --- god of fire and forge, fails on both counts.
5. Re:Some contest by maxwell+demon · 2013-07-02 07:56 · Score: 1
  
  Because this way, it's democratic. That's how democracy works: the upper class lets you vote for what you want before doing what they want.
  FTFA (emphasis by me):
  And in place of Vulcan, they submitted third-place Styx (87,858 votes), which in addition to being a river, is also the name of the goddess of unbreakable oaths.
  
  --
  The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
6. Re:Some contest by steelfood · 2013-07-02 08:55 · Score: 1
  
  1) To solicit new names that may or may not be any good.
  2) To whittle the list of contenders down to a few from which they can then ultimately pick.
  
  --
  "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
7. Re:Some contest by BergZ · 2013-07-02 08:58 · Score: 2
  
  When I look up in the sky I do not want to see 'Urrectum'*!
  
  * I propose that if NASA must name things based on the most popular choice then eventually there will be a celestial body named Urrectum. It is inevitable.
  
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8. Re:Some contest by Rockoon · 2013-07-02 10:47 · Score: 1
  
  I'm fairly certain that even if NASA continues to pick the names themselves, that eventually they would be left with Urrectum as the best choice.
  
  --
  "His name was James Damore."
9. Re:Some contest by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 18:18 · Score: 0
  
  5 years olds shouldn't have /. accounts...
10. Re:Some contest by RockDoctor · 2013-07-05 02:31 · Score: 1
  
  2. What is the point of having a contest if you're not going to pick the winner?
  They should not hold a naming contest if they're just going to pick the names they want anyway.
  I'm holding a contest to rename all relatives of Ronald Reagan after incurable sexually transmitted diseases ; I've not consulted any of these relatives about my plans to rename them, but I'd expect them to take my suggestions into consideration.
  The people who ran the competition were not the people who were going to be deciding on the names, they were just carrying out essentially a "focus group" study on what names are likely to be popular. And they said so at the time. Did you actually read the articles and their website, or did you just go "OMG Ponies!" and lose control of your sphincters without actually doing any checking for yourself.
  
  --
  Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
11. Re:Some contest by RockDoctor · 2013-07-05 02:34 · Score: 1
  
  I invoke Rule 34.
  And, as if by perverted magic, the Internet was filled with pictures of your rectum. Do you have two girls and a cup to go with that?
  
  --
  Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
Good on them by Dasher42 · 2013-07-02 06:34 · Score: 5, Insightful

Vulcan is Hephaistos, the god of the forge. He has fiery, volcanic imagery, which is why when some astronomers suspected that there might be a planet closer to the Sun than Mercury, Vulcan was the proposed name. Really, Trek fans, a tiny icy moon of Pluto's was not the place to name after Vulcan, no matter how much we like Spock.
1. Re:Good on them by tverbeek · 2013-07-02 06:43 · Score: 1
  
  As much as I love Star Trek, Vulcan would be a poor name for either of these objects: too cold. Kerberos and Styx are excellent choices to accompany Pluto.
  
  --
  http://alternatives.rzero.com/
2. Re:Good on them by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 06:49 · Score: 0
  
  Vulcan is Hephaistos, the god of the forge. He has fiery, volcanic imagery, which is why when some astronomers suspected that there might be a planet closer to the Sun than Mercury, Vulcan was the proposed name. Really, Trek fans, a tiny icy moon of Pluto's was not the place to name after Vulcan, no matter how much we like Spock.
  We'll save Vulcan for when we finally make contact with intelligent, super logical people from another planet. We'll name their planet Vulcan for them.
3. Re:Good on them by Cro+Magnon · 2013-07-02 06:54 · Score: 1
  
  I agree. "Vulcan" would be an illogical choice for such cold places.
  
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  Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
4. Re:Good on them by runeghost · 2013-07-02 07:06 · Score: 1
  
  I absolutely agree and am very happy to see the IAU's decision . I winced every time I saw that one of Pluto's moons was going to be named Vulcan. Pluto's moons should be directly assosciated with darkness and the underworld. Vulcan was inappropriate, not simply for its Trek connections, but because (barring some truly exceptional discoveries by New Horizons) it is inappropriate to name a tiny, icy moon of a dwarf planet after the god of the forge. Save the name, Vulcan, for the first super-heated super-Earth, or the first Hot Jovian that humans or our robot proxies directly explore.
5. Re:Good on them by Joviex · 2013-07-02 07:10 · Score: 1
  
  Vulcan was thought to be between Mars and Jupiter by the ancient Greeks and Romans.
6. Re:Good on them by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 07:15 · Score: 0
  
  Yes but, "dontgiveafuck" would have been better still.
7. Re:Good on them by sconeu · 2013-07-02 07:22 · Score: 2
  
  Do I need to get a ticket to get to Kerberos? Or a ticket granting ticket?
  
  --
  General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
8. Re:Good on them by aix+tom · 2013-07-02 07:26 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah. The name of choice for any icy, planet-y thing should of course have been Hoth.
9. Re:Good on them by Krishnoid · 2013-07-02 07:34 · Score: 1
  
  Or if you're going to stick with Trek, Rura Penthe.
10. Re:Good on them by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 07:38 · Score: 0
  
  And most importantly, Vulcan itself (in Star Trek) is also a comparatively fiery and geologically active planet. A more appropriate name suggestion would be Andoria - which is an icy moon that is home to the Andorrians (the blue dudes with antennae). Gosh, Star Trek nerds, get your own lore straight! :)
  I'm all for naming exo-planets after science fiction, but they need to at least match their sci-fi descriptions properly. It would be wasted to throw "Vulcan" away on a crappy little moon of a non-planet like Pluto, only to find a relatively hot but earth-like exoplanet that actually matches Vulcan and then have people go "Nah, we can't call it Vulcan - that's already a tiny rock, orbiting another tiny rock, beyond Neptune).
  Save up your cred for when it counts - like when we build our first warp drive ship - then insist we call it Enterprise-A: that's a much better use of your lobbying power!
11. Re:Good on them by maxwell+demon · 2013-07-02 08:03 · Score: 1
  
  Save up your cred for when it counts - like when we build our first warp drive ship - then insist we call it Enterprise-A: that's a much better use of your lobbying power!
  The first warp drive ship has to be named Phoenix, of course.
  
  --
  The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
12. Re:Good on them by mrbester · 2013-07-02 09:26 · Score: 1
  
  At least that was a moon...
  
  --
  "Wait. Something's happening. It's opening up! My God, it's full of apricots!"
13. Re:Good on them by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 10:43 · Score: 0
  
  But a multi headed dog that lives in hell some how is a logical name for a cold place?
14. Re:Good on them by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 10:48 · Score: 0
  
  My kingdom for some mod points.
15. Re:Good on them by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 12:59 · Score: 0
  
  "Andoria - which is an icy moon that is home to the Andorrians"
  Bullshit. Andorrians come from a tiny country between Spain and France.
16. Re:Good on them by cpt+kangarooski · 2013-07-02 13:26 · Score: 1
  
  Well, let's split the difference, and say that they come from a tiny moon between Spain and France.
  
  --
  -- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
17. Re:Good on them by SteveFoerster · 2013-07-02 14:36 · Score: 1
  
  Hades isn't the same place as Hell.
  
  --
  Space game using normal deck of cards: http://BattleCards.org
Points at the two moons by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 06:35 · Score: 0

Hideki! Hideki!
does shatner ever tire? by nimbius · 2013-07-02 06:35 · Score: 4, Insightful

Vulcan was rejected because it shared its name with a hypothetical planet inside the orbit of Mercury, and also because, as god of the forge, Vulcan had little connection to the icy moons of Pluto.

--
Good people go to bed earlier.
1. Re:does shatner ever tire? by mwfischer · 2013-07-02 06:43 · Score: 1
  
  If anything it should be called Andoria.
2. Re:does shatner ever tire? by gl4ss · 2013-07-02 08:22 · Score: 1
  
  I'm pretty sure I've seen Styx and Kerberos as hypothetical planets.
  However, first they say it's not a planet and then they say it has moons..
  
  --
  world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
QOTD by Spottywot · 2013-07-02 06:36 · Score: 4, Funny

Shatner is sad
Quote of the day.

--
In a cybernetic fit of rage she pissed off to another age...
1. Re:QOTD by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 06:54 · Score: 0
  
  http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/keanu-is-sad-sad-keanu
  We need pictures of Shatner eating a sandwich
2. Re:QOTD by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 07:03 · Score: 0
  
  Shatner.
  is.
  sad.
  Quote of the day.
  FTFY
3. Re:QOTD by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-03 04:42 · Score: 0
  
  Who is this Shatner guy?
Post colonialism ... by Forget4it · 2013-07-02 06:52 · Score: 1

What ever we earthlings call them now they'll have to be renamed later when we discover the name the natives use for their own world. Post colonialism rules!

--
Artificial intelligence is the study of how to make real computers act like the ones in the movies.
Kerberos, for me to poop on by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 06:55 · Score: 0

Seriously, fuck Kerberos. Cerberus is 100% better. I can't think of Kerberos without thinking of Microsoft authentication schemes, which makes me nervous.
1. Re:Kerberos, for me to poop on by cyberchondriac · 2013-07-02 07:29 · Score: 1
  
  /\ This.
  I've always read the 3 headed dog's name as Cerberus.
  Or, "Fluffy", from Harry Potter, if you prefer. In hindsight, I think I'll refer to these moons as Styx and Fluffy.
  
  --
  
  Look back up at my post, now look back down, you're on the Internet. Now look back up. I'm a signature.
2. Re:Kerberos, for me to poop on by camperdave · 2013-07-02 07:45 · Score: 1
  
  What about calling it Fluffy? I'm sure a lot more people know of Fluffy, the three headed dog than Kerberos, the three headed dog.
  
  --
  When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
3. Re:Kerberos, for me to poop on by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 08:08 · Score: 0
  
  All depends on your user number I suppose.
4. Re:Kerberos, for me to poop on by Antipater · 2013-07-02 08:10 · Score: 1
  
  There's already an asteroid called Cerberus.
  
  --
  Everything is better with chainsaws.
5. Re:Kerberos, for me to poop on by pjt33 · 2013-07-02 08:13 · Score: 1
  
  Cerberus is the Latin spelling: Kerberos is a transliteration of the Greek.
6. Re:Kerberos, for me to poop on by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 11:09 · Score: 0
  
  We should use the real Greek letters? Why all this romanization?
Iau can name it what it wants by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 06:56 · Score: 0

There is no law against everyone else calling it Vulcan until the Iau melds its mind.
JJ Abrams.... by tekrat · 2013-07-02 06:57 · Score: 1

I'm surprised he didn't get in on this to further tie his horrendous Star Trek movies to something else (as if Cadillacs, Asus notebooks, Burger king, Pepsi, and some kind of Watch weren't enough)....
Although, according to Abram's "canon"; Vulcan has an icy (but habitable) moon, which is the only way Old Spock and Young Kirk could have witnessed the destruction of Vulcan.

--
If telephones are outlawed, then only outlaws will have telephones.
The real reason Vulcan wasn't chosen. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 07:01 · Score: 0

KHAAAAN!
Pluto is Latin by kruach+aum · 2013-07-02 07:02 · Score: 1

They should rename Pluto to Hades, mixing up mythologies makes me feel like Papa Legba when Baldr was killed by Anansi.
1. Re:Pluto is Latin by BenSchuarmer · 2013-07-02 07:39 · Score: 1
  
  Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune are also Latin.
2. Re:Pluto is Latin by jgtg32a · 2013-07-02 08:49 · Score: 1
  
  Sol is Roman as well
3. Re:Pluto is Latin by mark-t · 2013-07-02 08:50 · Score: 1
  
  Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are all Roman dieties... the mythology mixup is only happening because they are using a greek name for one of the moons. If one wants consistency, it'd be a far more straightforward change to just pick a new roman name for the moon than it would be to rename every planet in the solar system.
  
  --
  File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
Phil Plait? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 07:02 · Score: 0

I knew it wouldn't be long until he didn't come around here anymore. Since he lost his gig at discovery.com he's become a no show. I guess since his new place of employment hasn't threatened him yet unless he got some traffic on his page he doesn't have time for Slashdot. He'd be quick to pimp out his blog here until it no longer served a purpose and *poof!* he was gone.

Don't blame me for predicting it all along. I knew he was good for nothing and he was only in it for the money.
1. Re:Phil Plait? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 14:15 · Score: 0
  
  I'm still looking forward to reading your blog AC. I believe shithouseastronomy.com is still available, if you haven't chosen a name yet.
Clearly by ThatsNotPudding · 2013-07-02 07:09 · Score: 1

Someone had Too Much Time On [Their] Hands
Cerberus, not Kerberos by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 07:12 · Score: 0

I can find no reference to Kerberos being an alternate spelling for Cerberus.
1. Re:Cerberus, not Kerberos by gl4ss · 2013-07-02 08:23 · Score: 1
  
  I can find no reference to Kerberos being an alternate spelling for Cerberus.
  here you go. bow to your finnish overlords! (or ancient greeKs who spelt it with K..)
  http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerberos
  
  --
  world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
2. Re:Cerberus, not Kerberos by Antipater · 2013-07-02 08:32 · Score: 1
  
  You must not be looking very hard. Link
  
  --
  Everything is better with chainsaws.
Shatner who? by Cyfun · 2013-07-02 07:12 · Score: 1

Thank you for explaining who William Shatner is. I'm sure there are still a good 5 or 6 Slashdot readers who are still unaware.

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1. Re:Shatner who? by sconeu · 2013-07-02 07:26 · Score: 1
  
  You mean that "Denny Crane" guy did something before Boston Legal?
  
  --
  General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
2. Re:Shatner who? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 07:27 · Score: 0
  
  Not all of us sit around eating pizzas and watching TV all day while trying to act all nerd because they rooted their little phones.
3. Re:Shatner who? by Megane · 2013-07-02 07:43 · Score: 1
  
  You're obviously too young to remember him in his role as police officer T. J. Hooker. Now get off of my lawn.
  
  --
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4. Re:Shatner who? by camperdave · 2013-07-02 07:53 · Score: 1
  
  Actually, it has been quite a number of years since Star Trek was on the air. It's quite possible that some of the younger Slashdotters do not know who William Shatner is, or rather, have never seen his portrayal of Captain Kirk. After all, 20 years ago, it was Picard who was at the conn.
  
  --
  When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
5. Re:Shatner who? by kannibal_klown · 2013-07-02 08:00 · Score: 1
  
  It's possible for a kid or 20yo to not know about Kirt: if the kid is a teenager and doesn't have cable, and isn't into sci-fi enough to have seen the films it's possible.
  It's not very probable, but it's possible.
  Heck, I met a kid that was into computers and didn't know about disks larger than a 3.5" floppy. Not that he knew and hadn't seen one before, but thought 3.5" was the only kind ever used.
6. Re:Shatner who? by kannibal_klown · 2013-07-02 08:01 · Score: 0
  
  By "larger" I mean floppy disks that were physically larger like the 5.25's, the Bernoulli's, and the even bigger ones.
  And 5.25's were still used ~25 years ago.
7. Re:Shatner who? by sconeu · 2013-07-02 09:42 · Score: 1
  
  I thought he got killed on a plane or something when a monster tore up the wing. I remember seeing that on the news.
  
  --
  General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
8. Re:Shatner who? by cpt+kangarooski · 2013-07-02 13:29 · Score: 1
  
  Well, that would explain that creepy incubus.
  
  --
  -- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
can a non-planet have moons? by night_flyer · 2013-07-02 07:30 · Score: 2

serious question...

--

Thanks to file sharing, I purchase more CDs
Thanks to the RIAA, I buy them used...
1. Re:can a non-planet have moons? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 07:43 · Score: 0
  
  Your momma has moons.
2. Re:can a non-planet have moons? by BenSchuarmer · 2013-07-02 07:48 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Pluto is a dwarf planet (a celestial body in direct orbit of the Sun that is massive enough for its shape to be controlled by gravitation, but that unlike a planet has not cleared its orbital region of other objects). The definition doesn't exclude moons.
3. Re:can a non-planet have moons? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 08:34 · Score: 1
  
  Wait, so all that's necessary to make Pluto a full planet again, is to clear its orbital region of other objects?
  Seems like a Kickstarter project to fund the purchase or building of enough missiles to blow up all those other objects is in order. Take that, Neil deGrasse Tyson!
4. Re:can a non-planet have moons? by Dr+La · 2013-07-02 09:18 · Score: 1
  
  A number of asteroids have moons (most well known pair: (243) Ida and Dactyl). So moons are clearly not restricted to planets.
  
  --
  Ceterum censeo Carthaginem delendam esse
5. Re:can a non-planet have moons? by SteveFoerster · 2013-07-02 14:43 · Score: 1
  
  It can in theory, if the moonlet is within the Hill sphere of a moon. But I don't believe there are any known instances of this in the Solar system.
  
  --
  Space game using normal deck of cards: http://BattleCards.org
A new hope for space exploration by gmuslera · 2013-07-02 07:32 · Score: 1

Can't wait till USA announces an expedition to the outer solar system to hack Kerberos.
Why was Vulcan disqualified? by joeflies · 2013-07-02 07:33 · Score: 1

Seems like that's a critical part of this story and the reason is not mentioned.
1. Re:Why was Vulcan disqualified? by kannibal_klown · 2013-07-02 08:04 · Score: 1
  
  I could see for fear of trademark issues.
  Obviously the Star Trek owners have been pretty good about that sort of thing in the past, but maybe they just didn't want to risk it.
  Or... they're just really big fans of the new continuity and believe there is no longer any Vulcan :-)
2. Re:Why was Vulcan disqualified? by rossdee · 2013-07-02 10:59 · Score: 1
  
  "I could see for fear of trademark issues."
  Seriously? I mean the Roman empire has prior art on Vulcan, so i don't think Paramount has any claim on that name.
Disappointed by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 07:50 · Score: 1

That it wasn't named Yuggoth
And I guess the Mass Effect fans voted for ... by Ihlosi · 2013-07-02 07:57 · Score: 1

Kerberos, or rather, Cerberus?
Oh, and can't we keep it Roman in this Solar System? We still need the Greek names for the next system.
"Vulcan" by Moppusan · 2013-07-02 08:23 · Score: 1

Really isn't a name for just a moon but for a whole planet. That's my opinion. Seems logical.

--
You can dance if you want to.
In Shatners voice: by wbr1 · 2013-07-02 08:35 · Score: 2, Funny

Im [pause] mad [pause] Scotty [pause] fire up the warp engines [pause] Uhura hail the IAU [pause] Starfleet [pause] anybody. Well get [pause] a landing party and beam [pause] over [pause] and fix [pause] this.

--
Silence is a state of mime.
yay! by Pharoah_69 · 2013-07-02 09:15 · Score: 0

Yay for the Logos of Science!
2 Questions by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 09:16 · Score: 0

1. So Spock would be from one of Pluto's moons?
2. I thought some idiot decided a while back that Pluto is no longer a planet.. So what celestial object other than a planet has moons?
Dinah, Moe, and Hum? by Grog6 · 2013-07-02 09:25 · Score: 1

That would be a nice name for a set of moons, lol.

--
Truth isn't Truth - Guliani
*Raises his eyebrow* by neoshroom · 2013-07-02 10:17 · Score: 1

Vulcan was rejected because it shared its name with a hypothetical planet inside the orbit of Mercury, and also because, as god of the forge, Vulcan had little connection to the icy moons of Pluto.
You are correct. The choice of Vulcan for a name was highly illogical.

--
Big apple, new Yorik, undig it, something's unrotting in Edenmark.
I hope one of those moons has a moon. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 10:58 · Score: 0

That way you could name the sub-moonlet Theseus, because its ass is stuck to a rock in the underworld.
Styx sucks by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-02 12:29 · Score: 0

They should have named the moon KISS instead.
Woof... by frozentier · 2013-07-02 15:01 · Score: 1

Does it really matter if the names of the moons follow any kind of guidelines considering the fact that the planet (or dwarf planet, or whatever you want to call it) was named after a cartoon dog?
Told you so ! by mister2au · 2013-07-02 19:24 · Score: 1

Vulcan was never going to be chosen and these 2 have a good association to each other.
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3497407&cid=43020767
Of course they shot down "Vulcan" by persicom · 2013-07-03 13:39 · Score: 1

They didn't want to piss off the Vulcans
Hmmm, say... by Meski · 2013-07-03 14:34 · Score: 1

What's the RADIUS of Kerberos?
Names are human inventions. by bbsalem · 2013-07-03 18:43 · Score: 1

So people invent names, and astronomers have traditions for naming solar system objects, so to name the moons for mythological cohorts of the Roman God Pluto is conventional. Vulcan is far more removed from the convention and some newer even fashionable idea was probably rejected because it doesn't fit the tradition, and as it is the AIU that makes the agreements between astronomers. If you are really incensed you can use Pluto I, II, III, IV, etc.
Good for me. by RockDoctor · 2013-07-05 02:44 · Score: 1

Enough said.

--
Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"