Planetary nomenclature

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Planetary nomenclature, like terrestrial nomenclature, is used to uniquely identify a feature on the surface of a planet or natural satellite so that the feature can be easily located, described, and discussed.

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[edit] How names are approved by the IAU

When images are first obtained of the surface of a planet or satellite, a theme for naming features is chosen and a few important features are named, usually by members of the appropriate International Astronomical Union (IAU) task group (a commonly accepted planet-naming group). Later, as higher resolution images and maps become available, additional features are named at the request of investigators mapping or describing specific surfaces, features, or geologic formations. Anyone may suggest that a specific name be considered by a task group. If the members of the task group agree that the name is appropriate, it can be retained for use when there is a request from a member of the scientific community that a specific feature be named. Names successfully reviewed by a task group are submitted to the IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN). Upon successful review by the members of the WGPSN, names are considered provisionally approved and can be used on maps and in publications as long as the provisional status is clearly stated. Provisional names are then presented for adoption to the IAU's General Assembly, which meets triennially. A name is not considered to be official — that is, "adopted" — until the General Assembly has given its approval.

[edit] IAU Rules and Conventions

Names adopted by the IAU must follow various rules and conventions established and amended through the years by the Union. These include:

  1. Nomenclature is a tool and the first consideration should be to make it simple, clear, and unambiguous.
  2. The number of names chosen for each body should be kept to a minimum, and their placement governed by the requirements of the scientific community.
  3. Duplication of the same name on two or more bodies is to be avoided.
  4. Individual names chosen for each body should be expressed in the language of origin. Transliteration for various alphabets should be given, but there will be no translation from one language to another.
  5. Where possible, the themes established in early solar system nomenclature should be used and expanded on.
  6. Solar system nomenclature should be international in its choice of names. Recommendations submitted to the IAU national committees will be considered, but final selection of the names is the responsibility of the International Astronomical Union. The WGPSN strongly supports equitable selection of names from ethnic groups/countries on each map; however, a higher percentage of names from the country planning a landing is allowed on landing site maps.
  7. No names having political, military or religious significance may be used, except for names of political figures prior to the 19th century. (Note: Apparently this only goes for religions that are widely practiced today, since gods and goddesses of ancient and/or non-monotheistic religions are obviously acceptable to the IAU.)
  8. Commemoration of persons on planetary bodies should not be a goal in itself but should be reserved for persons of high and enduring international standing. Persons being so honored must have been deceased for at least three years.
  9. When more than one spelling of a name is extant, the spelling preferred by the person, or used in an authoritative reference, should be used. Diacritical marks are a necessary part of a name and will be used.
  10. Ring and ring-gap nomenclature and names for newly discovered satellites are developed in joint deliberation between WGPSN and IAU Commission 20. Names will not be assigned to satellites until their orbital elements are reasonably well known or definite features have been identified on them.

In addition to these general rules, each task group develops additional conventions as it formulates an interesting and meaningful nomenclature for individual planetary bodies.

[edit] Naming Conventions

Names for all planetary features include a descriptor term, with the exception of two feature types. For craters, the descriptor term is implicit. Some features named on Io and Triton do not carry a descriptor term because they are ephemeral.

In general, the naming convention for a feature type remains the same regardless of its size. Exceptions to this rule are channels (valles) on Mars and craters on the Moon, Mars, and Venus; naming conventions for these features differ according to size. The categories for naming features on each planet or satellite (and the exceptions) are listed in Appendix 6. One feature classification, regio, was originally used on early maps of the Moon and Mercury (drawn from telescopic observations) to describe vague albedo features. It is now used to delineate a broad geographic region.

Named features on bodies so small that coordinates have not yet been determined are identified on drawings of the body that are included in the IAU Transactions volume of the year when the names were adopted. Satellite rings and gaps in the rings are named for scientists who have studied these features; drawings that show these names are also included in the pertinent Transactions volume. Names for atmospheric features are informal at present; a formal system will be chosen in the future.

The boundaries of many large features (such as terrae, regiones, planitiae, and plana) are not topographically or geomorphically distinct; the coordinates of these features are identified from an arbitrarily chosen center point. Boundaries (and thus coordinates) may be determined more accurately from geochemical and geophysical data obtained by future missions.

[edit] Descriptor Terms (Feature Types)

Feature Description Designation
Albedo feature Area which shows a contrast in brightness or darkness (albedo) with adjacent areas. AL
Astrum, astra Radial-patterned features on Venus AS
Catena, catenae Chain of craters CA
Cavus, cavi Hollows, irregular steep-sided depressions usually in arrays or clusters CB
Chaos Distinctive area of broken terrain CH
Chasma, chasmata Deep, elongated, steep-sided depression CM
Colles Small hills or knobs CO
Corona, coronae Ovoid feature CR
Crater, craters Circular depression AA
Dorsum, dorsa Ridge DO
Eruptive center Active volcanic centers on Io ER
Facula, faculae Bright spot FA
Farrum, farra Pancake-like structure, or a row of such structures FR
Flexus, flexūs Very low curvilinear ridge with a scalloped pattern FE
Fluctus, fluctūs Flow terrain FL
Fossa, fossae Long, narrow, shallow depression FO
Labes, labēs Landslide LA
Labyrinthus, labyrinthi Complex of intersecting valleys LB
Lacus[1] "Lake"; small plain LC
Landing site name Lunar features at or near Apollo landing sites LF
Large ringed feature Cryptic ringed features LG
Lenticula, lenticulae Small dark spots on Europa LE
Linea, lineae Dark or bright elongate marking, may be curved or straight LI
Macula, maculae Dark spot, may be irregular MA
Mare[1], maria "Sea"; large circular plain ME
Mensa, mensae Flat-topped prominence with cliff-like edges MN
Mons, montes Mountain MO
Oceanus[1] Very large dark area on the moon OC
Palus[1], paludes "Swamp"; small plain PA
Patera, paterae Irregular crater, or a complex one with scalloped edges PE
Planitia, planitiae Low plain PL
Planum, plana Plateau or high plain PM
Plume — PU
Promontorium[1], promontoria "Cape"; headland PR
Regio, regiones Large area marked by reflectivity or color distinctions from adjacent areas, or a broad geographic region RE
Reticulum, reticula reticular (netlike) pattern on Venus RT
Rima, rimae[1] Fissure RI
Rupes, rupēes Scarp RU
Scopulus, scopuli Lobate or irregular scarp SC
Sinus "Bay"; small plain SI
Sulcus, sulci Subparallel furrows and ridges SU
Terra, terrae Extensive land mass TA
Tessera, tesserae Tile-like, polygonal terrain TE
Tholus, tholi Small domical mountain or hill TH
Undae Dunes UN
Vallis, valles Valley VA
Vastitas, vastitates Extensive plain VS
  1. ^ a b c d e f Used only on the Moon

[edit] Categories for naming features on planets and satellites

[edit] Mercury

Feature type Current list Naming convention
Albedo features list [1]  ??
Craters list [2] Famous deceased artists, musicians, painters, authors
Dorsa list [3] Astronomers who made detailed studies of the planet
Montes list [4] Only one: Caloris Montes, from Latin word for "heat"
Planitiae list [5] Names for Mercury (either planet or god) in various languages
Rupēs list [6] Ships of discovery or scientific expeditions
Valles list [7] Radio telescope facilities

[edit] Venus

Feature type Current list Naming convention
Astra none [8] Goddesses, miscellaneous
Chasmata list [9] Goddesses of hunt; moon goddesses
Colles list [10] Sea goddesses
Coronae list [11] Fertility and earth goddesses
Craters list [12] Over 20 km; famous women; under 20 km, common female first

names
Dorsa list [13] Sky goddesses
Farra list [14] Water goddesses
Fluctūs list [15] Goddesses, miscellaneous
Fossae list [16] Goddesses of war
Labyrinthi list [17] Goddesses, miscellaneous
Lineae list [18] Goddesses of war
Montes list [19] Goddesses, miscellaneous (also one radar scientist)
Paterae list [20] Famous women
Planitiae list [21] Mythological heroines
Plana list [22] Goddesses of prosperity
Regiones list [23] Giantesses and Titanesses (also two Greek alphanumeric)
Rupēs list [24] Goddesses of hearth and home
Terrae list [25] Goddesses of love
Tesserae list [26] Goddesses of fate and fortune
Tholi list [27] Goddesses, miscellaneous
Undae list [28] Desert goddesses
Valles list [29] Word for planet Venus in various world languages (400 km and

longer); river goddesses (less than 400 km in length)

[edit] The Moon

Feature type Naming convention
Craters, Catenae, Dorsa, Rimae Large craters: famous deceased scientists, scholars, artists; small craters: common first names. Other features named from nearby craters
Lacūs, Maria, Paludes, Sinūs Latin terms describing weather and other abstract concepts
Montes Terrestrial mountain ranges or nearby craters
Rupēs Names of nearby mountain ranges (terrestrial names)
Valles Name of nearby features

[edit] Mars and martian satellites

[edit] Mars

Feature type Naming convention
Large craters Deceased scientists who have contributed to the study of Mars; writers and others who have contributed to the lore of Mars
Small craters Villages of the world with a population of less than 100,000.
Large valles Name for Mars/star in various languages
Small valles Classical or modern names of rivers
Other features From nearest named albedo feature on Schiaparelli or Antoniadi maps

When space probes have landed on Mars, individual small features such as rocks, dunes, and hollows have often been given informal names. Many of these are frivolous: features have been named after ice cream (such as Cookies N Cream); cartoon characters (such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick); and 70s musicians (such as ABBA, the Bee Gees and Engelbert Humperdinck). [30]

[edit] Deimos

Authors who wrote about Martian satellites

[edit] Phobos

Scientists involved with the discovery, dynamics, or properties of the Martian satellites

[edit] Satellites of Jupiter

[edit] Amalthea

People and places associated with the Amalthea myth

[edit] Thebe

People and places associated with the Thebe myth

[edit] Io

Feature type Naming convention
Active eruptive centers Fire, sun, thunder gods and heroes
Catenae Sun gods
Fluctūs Name derived from nearby named feature, or fire, sun, thunder,

volcano gods, goddesses and heroes, mythical blacksmiths
Mensae People associated with Io myth, derived from nearby feature, or

from Dante's Inferno
Montes Places associated with Io myth, derived from nearby feature, or

from Dante's Inferno
Paterae Fire, sun, thunder, volcano gods, heroes, goddesses, mythical

blacksmiths
Plana Places associated with Io myth, derived from nearby feature, or

from Dante's Inferno
Regiones Places associated with Io myth, derived from nearby feature, or

from Dante's Inferno
Tholi Places associated with Io myth, derived from nearby feature, or

from Dante's Inferno

[edit] Europa

Feature type Naming convention
Chaos Places associated with Celtic myths
Craters Celtic gods and heroes
Flexūs Places associated with the Europa myth
Large ringed features Celtic stone circles
Lenticulae Celtic gods and heroes
Lineae People associated with the Europa myth
Maculae Places associated with the Europa myth
Regiones Places associated with Celtic myths

[edit] Ganymede

Feature type Naming convention
Catenae Gods and heroes of ancient Fertile Crescent people
Craters Gods and heroes of ancient Fertile Crescent people
Faculae Places associated with Egyptian myths
Fossae Gods (or principals) of ancient Fertile Crescent people
Regiones Astronomers who discovered Jovian satellites
Sulci Places associated with myths of ancient people

[edit] Callisto

Feature type Naming convention
Large ringed features Homes of the gods and of heroes
Craters Heroes and heroines from northern myths
Catenae Mythological places in high latitudes

[edit] Satellites of Saturn

[edit] Janus

People from myth of Castor and Pollux (twins)

[edit] Epimetheus

People from myth of Castor and Pollux (twins)

[edit] Mimas

People and places from Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur legends (Baines translation)

[edit] Enceladus

People and places from Burton's Arabian Nights

[edit] Tethys

People and places from Homer's Odyssey

[edit] Dione

People and places from Virgil's Aeneid

[edit] Rhea

People and places from creation myths

[edit] Titan

Feature type Naming convention
Major bright albedo features Sacred or enchanted places from legends, myths, stories, and poems of cultures from around the world
Major dark albedo features Legendary/mythical primordial seas or enchanted waters from world cultures
Craters (and lakes if present) Lakes from all continents on Earth
Fluvial channels Rivers from all continents on Earth
Other features Deities of happiness, peace, and harmony from world cultures

[edit] Hyperion

Sun and Moon deities

[edit] Iapetus

People and places from Sayers' translation of Chanson de Roland

[edit] Phoebe

People associated with Phoebe, islands of the Greek archipelagos

[edit] Satellites of Uranus

[edit] Puck

Mischievous (Pucklike) spirits (class)

[edit] Miranda

Characters, places from Shakespeare's plays

[edit] Ariel

Light spirits (individual and class)

[edit] Umbriel

Dark spirits (individual)

[edit] Titania

Female Shakespearean characters, places

[edit] Oberon

Shakespearean tragic heroes and places

[edit] Small satellites

Heroines from Shakespeare and Pope

[edit] Satellites of Neptune

[edit] Proteus

Water-related spirits, gods, goddesses (excluding Greek and Roman names)

[edit] Triton

Aquatic names, excluding Roman and Greek. Possible categories include worldwide aquatic spirits, famous terrestrial fountains or fountain locations, terrestrial aquatic features, famous terrestrial geysers or geyser locations, terrestrial islands.

[edit] Nereid

Individual nereids

[edit] Small satellites

Gods and goddesses associated with Neptune/Poseidon mythology or generic mythological aquatic beings

[edit] Pluto

Underworld deities

[edit] Asteroids

[edit] 243 Ida

Feature type Naming convention
Craters Caverns and grottos of the world
Dorsa Galileo project participants
Regiones Discoverer of Ida and places associated with the discoverer

[edit] (243) Ida I Dactyl

Feature type Naming convention
Craters Idaean dactyls

[edit] 951 Gaspra

Feature type Naming convention
Craters Spas of the world
Regiones Discoverer of Gaspra, and Galileo project participants

[edit] 253 Mathilde

Feature type Naming convention
Craters Coal fields and basins of the world

[edit] 433 Eros

Feature type Naming convention
Craters Mythological and legendary names of an erotic nature
Regiones Discoverers of Eros
Dorsa Scientists who have contributed to the exploration and study of Eros

[edit] References

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

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