Out of This World Names

Want to visit Dorothy Crater? You won’t find it in Kansas. It’s on Charon, Pluto’s largest moon. Dorothy Crater is one of 12 features on Charon that received official names earlier this year.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) approves all names for features like mountains, canyons, and more on objects in our solar system. Each planet or moon has a theme. Features on Mars and the moon honor scientists and writers. The features on Venus are named after notable women. Jupiter’s moon Io showcases gods and goddesses from around the world.

Want to visit Dorothy Crater? Despite the name, it's not in Kansas. It's on Charon. That's Pluto's largest moon. Dorothy Crater got its name earlier this year. So did 12 other features on Charon.

Scientists name features like mountains and canyons on other moons or planets. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) approves all the names. The names for each place have a theme. Features on Mars and the moon honor scientists and writers. On Venus they're named after women. Features on Jupiter's moon Io aren't named for people. Instead, they showcase gods and goddesses from around the world. 

The New Horizons spacecraft flew by Pluto and its moons in 2015, snapping pictures. The IAU worked with New Horizon’s scientists to decide Charon’s themes. “Because it’s a new extreme distance for planetary exploration, the theme honors the memory and literature of exploration,” says Mark Showalter, a New Horizons scientist.

Exploration wasn’t the only theme they considered. Charon’s montes were almost named for animals that live in the dark! Deciding the themes is a fun break from Showalter’s typical routine. “Science isn’t all about equations,” he says. “Naming things is one of the bridges between the scientific world and our culture and history.”

The New Horizons spacecraft flew by Pluto in 2015. It took pictures of Charon and other moons. The IAU worked with New Horizons scientists to decide how to name things on Charon. Because Pluto is so far from Earth, they picked a theme of exploration, says Mark Showalter. He's a New Horizons scientist.

Exploration wasn't the only theme they thought about. Charon's mountains were almost named for animals that live in the dark! Naming features is a fun break from Showalter's typical work. "Science isn't all about equations," he says. "Naming things is one of the bridges between the scientific world and our culture and history."