Crazy Names - The Solar System's Nomenclature Wars
An entertaining and instructive article from Space.com on the naming of new-found objects in the Solar System.
An extract:
You might be surprised to learn that the outskirts of the solar system are loaded with Plutinos, Centaurs, cubewanos and EKOs. Astronomers didn't even know this a decade ago. In fact until 1992 they hadn't even invented three of the terms.
Now it seems they don't have enough of these crazy names.
During the past decade, hundreds of objects have been discovered in a bewildering range of locations and orbital configurations beyond Jupiter. During that same time, astronomers have invented a puzzling set of designations -- some straightforward, some creative, some downright amusing -- to describe their findings.
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Back to our head-spinning array of terms. Objects near Plutinos that are not attracted into resonances with Neptune are called cubewanos. These make up the "classical" Kuiper Belt, a relatively thin region of space that corresponds to the same plane in which most of the planets orbit, Parker explained.
The origin of the word "cubewano" is perhaps the most extreme example of nomenclative amusement among astronomers.
The first KBO found was initially designated 1992 QB1, Parker explains. Its a name that denotes the year, month and order of discovery and is typical for newfound objects whose orbits are not pinned down. It was later learned that 1992 QB1 was a "main belt" KBO, not a Plutino, and so astronomers just began sounding out "QB1" and a new term was born.
An entertaining and instructive article from Space.com on the naming of new-found objects in the Solar System.
An extract:
You might be surprised to learn that the outskirts of the solar system are loaded with Plutinos, Centaurs, cubewanos and EKOs. Astronomers didn't even know this a decade ago. In fact until 1992 they hadn't even invented three of the terms.
Now it seems they don't have enough of these crazy names.
During the past decade, hundreds of objects have been discovered in a bewildering range of locations and orbital configurations beyond Jupiter. During that same time, astronomers have invented a puzzling set of designations -- some straightforward, some creative, some downright amusing -- to describe their findings.
............................
Back to our head-spinning array of terms. Objects near Plutinos that are not attracted into resonances with Neptune are called cubewanos. These make up the "classical" Kuiper Belt, a relatively thin region of space that corresponds to the same plane in which most of the planets orbit, Parker explained.
The origin of the word "cubewano" is perhaps the most extreme example of nomenclative amusement among astronomers.
The first KBO found was initially designated 1992 QB1, Parker explains. Its a name that denotes the year, month and order of discovery and is typical for newfound objects whose orbits are not pinned down. It was later learned that 1992 QB1 was a "main belt" KBO, not a Plutino, and so astronomers just began sounding out "QB1" and a new term was born.
