Pluto’s 2 moons to get new names through contest

by PHENOMENICA on FEBRUARY 14, 2013

in SOLAR SYSTEM, SPACE

Astronomers have launched a campaign asking the public for suggestions to name the two moons of Pluto, discovered over the past two years.

Pluto is the Roman equivalent of the Greek’s Hades, lord of the underworld, and its three bigger moons have related mythological names: Charon, the ferryman of Hades; Nix for the night goddess; and the multi-headed monster Hydra.

The two unnamed moons – no more than 20 miles across – will also take their names from the underworld myth. At the moment they go by the bland titles of P4 and P5.

Online voting will last two weeks, ending on February 25.

Twelve choices are available at the website http://www.plutorocks.com and more suggestions are welcome, but they need to come from Greek or Roman mythology and deal with the underworld, the Telegraph reported.

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