back to article Vulcan? Not on our tiny balls. Pluto moons named Kerberos, Styx

The International Astronomical Union has dissed William Shatner and the public to name Pluto's moons Kerberos and Styx, instead of most-popular moniker Vulcan. Despite having won the SETI-run Pluto Rocks contest to come up with names for the fourth and fifth - and tiniest - moons of the heavenly body with 174,062 votes, Vulcan …

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  1. Miguel Farah

    So the "Vulcan" name was a bad candidate to begin with?

    Why was it allowed on the vote, then? I don't understand.

    1. BillG
      Megaphone

      Re: So the "Vulcan" name was a bad candidate to begin with?

      SETIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII !!!!

      1. hplasm
        Happy

        Re: So the "Vulcan" name was a bad candidate to begin with?

        They must be out of their Vulcan minds!

      2. Fibbles

        Re: So the "Vulcan" name was a bad candidate to begin with?

        "SETIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII !!!!"

        Should've named it Ceti Alpha V.

    2. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

      Re: So the "Vulcan" name was a bad candidate to begin with?

      Maybe because the poll wasn't actually held by the people who make the decision (IAU), but by someone else (SETI)?

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    not worthy of Vulcan

    no loss - only an awesome planet is worthy of the name Vulcan

    1. Roger Greenwood
      Happy

      Re: not worthy of Vulcan

      or an awesome aircraft (XH558).

  3. quicksilver
    Coat

    Attack of the ultra-nerd ...

    Surely they're saving the Vulcan moniker for a planet orbiting 40 Eridani A when they find one?

    I'll get my coat ...

  4. Thorsten

    "Cerebus"?

    I never imagined Shatner being a comic books aficionado with a fondness for sword-wielding aardvarks with questionable ethics (both the aardvark and its creator)! Although it kind of fits.

    1. Jedit Silver badge
      Thumb Up

      Re: "Cerebus"?

      Cerebus even went out to Pluto. Damn, we should have voted that as the name (and Jaka for the other one).

  5. H'arj Imladd
    Coat

    It's all in the name

    So, if there were a marriage between William Shatner and Hyacynth Bucket ( " It's Bouquet dear...."), would they go with the double barreled option of Shatner-Bucket ?

    Mine's the one with the bog roll in the pocket....

    1. CCCP
      Coat

      Re: It's all in the name

      Just like when science nerd Stephen Fry marries Dawn French and she becomes Dawn French-Fry...

      Completely off topic, I know.

  6. stucs201

    Happy doggies

    So the Disney dog is joined by a 3-headed dog and they're off to chase sticks.

    1. Neil 44
      Facepalm

      Re: Happy doggies

      Shouldn't they be chasing Styx?

      1. sisk
        Coat

        Re: Happy doggies

        Domoarigato Mr. Roboto....

        Yeah, yeah, I'm going. Mine's the one with the mp3 player loaded with classic rock in the pocket.

    2. Alan Edwards
      Thumb Up

      Re: Happy doggies

      Just be happy they didn't name the other moon Fluffy...

  7. Anon

    Somehow, I'd rather the name Vulcan went to an actual inhabitable planet around another star.

  8. g e
    Alien

    The needs of the Few

    If you need that explaining then tough

  9. james 68

    pretty obvious really

    the name "Vulcan" as in the ancient god and not a pointy eared prat with silly eyebrows, is already taken in astronomy circles.

    urbain le verrier called his hypothetical planet between the sun and mercury vulcan, and though it is now proven not to exist there is a very good chance of a ring of asteroids in that orbit, reffered to as vulcanoid asteroids. anyone want to guess what these would be called on discovery? heres a clue... vulcan1, vulcan2, vulcan3....

    (they are hypothetical but there is eveidence to support the claim, they are however extremely hard to find as the area they would inhabit suffers from serious light pollution from the sun making telescope observation difficult)

    besides as the god of fire and volcanos it would hardly be a fitting name for a little rock out in the coldest boondocks of our solar system.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: pretty obvious really

      "besides as the god of fire and volcanos it would hardly be a fitting name for a little rock out in the coldest boondocks of our solar system."

      Right. Shatner's campaign reminds me when trekkies obtained to name the only Space Shuttle that wouldn't have never gone to space "Enterprise". They were asked to wait for a "production" Shuttle, but they were blinded by their faith and didn't listen - guess the Futurama episode that shows Star Trek fans turning it into a religion got it right.

      The names choosen are the correct ones for Pluto, Vulcan would have been out of place, for a dark, cold remote world. Maybe Shatner was thinking about hell's fire - anyway Vulcan is not hell despite Vulcan's ears - but in Greek mithology the underworld is different form the Christian one - it includes places for every soul, bad and good ones, and it's often described as a "dark" place.

      Kirk should let Spock choose astronomical names, he didn't studied enough at the Starfleet Academy...

      1. The lone lurker

        Re: pretty obvious really

        In fairness Enterprise was always intended to be converted to into an orbiter after the ALT program completed. Under the original plan she would have been the second functional shuttle to reach space.

        The unexpected number of changes that had to be made to the shuttle design during Columbia's construction ended up precluding Enterprise's conversion on the basis of cost.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: pretty obvious really

          AFAIK trekkies were told to wait because the name was already choosen, but they didn't listen.

          Columbia building started in 1975, and thereby the decision not to retrofit the Enterprise was taken early enough to suggest to wait.

          If they had let the NASA name the first Shuttle "Constitution", and name a later Shuttle "Enterprise", they would have had a "Constitution-class" Enterprise....

          1. The lone lurker

            Re: pretty obvious really

            Enterprise was built between 1974 and 1976. The Approach and landing test program finished in 1977 and the decision not to convert Enterprise to an orbiter was made in 1978 so it was still assumed during the naming of Enterprise that it would fly in space.

      2. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge
        Coat

        Re: pretty obvious really

        >Space Shuttle that wouldn't have never gone to space "Enterprise"

        Presumably because the engines cannea take it cap'n

      3. cortland

        Re: pretty obvious really

        -- the underworld is different form the Christian one - it includes places for every soul, bad and good ones, and it's often described as a "dark" place. --

        Sounds like Hel's domain, all right. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hel_(being)

    2. MJI Silver badge

      Re: pretty obvious really

      To some of us it is a V bomber!

  10. andy k O'Croydon
    Alien

    Legacy

    He has already been immortalised by neurologists; time perception is, of course, governed by the Shatner's Bassoon. There's still plenty of potential for the name Vulcan to be assigned to more appropriate rock in the galaxy, there isn't a shortage of them. I daresay the trekkies will have cause to celebrate one day.

    1. Jedit Silver badge
      Boffin

      "time perception is, of course, governed by the Shatner's Bassoon"

      Well, that explains those ... odd ... pauses we alll ... experience ... now and again.

  11. Peter Mount
    Facepalm

    There was once a vulcan before

    It was a mythical planet that was once thought to orbit the sun closer than Mercury...

    Which is why some people thought it was a bad idea for Pluto (ignoring the theme the IAU correctly went for).

    In Star Trek Vulcan was a hot desert planet, so having a real Vulcan out in the outer part of the solar system doesn't tend to go with that theme either.

  12. Anomalous Cowshed

    I knew it...

    I always thought my neighbour Sylvia was a bit of an asteroid...

  13. The last doughnut

    Who'd be an astronmer

    All that staying up late and peering into optics. The only fun bit of self-expression you get is when its time to name a celestial body. And that's when every TV-watching nerd in the world tries to enforce his (or her) childish views. Meh.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Who'd be an astronmer

      You no longer peer into optics - today you just watch a monitor who shows you what the CCD sensors see - maybe on the other side of the world (or orbiting around it, if you are using Hubble or any of the other space telescopes, or even from deep space probes) - and if so you don't have to work all the night. Anyway even before CCDs professional astronomers were using chemical imaging to record their observations - peering directly into a telescope is a thing of the remote past - or of amateur astronomers (and even advanced amateurs now uses CCD cameras a lot).

      Moreover imaging is just a part of an astronomer's job - spectral and photometric data are a large part of it, and that's not something you can look at directly.

      It's funny to see how the early XIX century astronomer stereotype is still strong today...

      1. sisk
        Trollface

        Re: Who'd be an astronmer

        Hey, lets be fair here. Peering into optics is quite fun.

        Oh, they're supposed to be pointed at the sky?

      2. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Who'd be an astronmer

        Actually you do spend a lot of time peering into optics.

        You also spend a lot of your time saying;

        This fscking mirror is filfthy when was it last recoated?

        I can't see the chip - the fsckign filter wheel has jammed!

        There is fscking ice on the inside of this dewar window!

        Whose fsckign fingerprint is this on an interference filter?

        Although if you work on an interferemeter with 100s of optical components linking 4 telescopes you can get a little frustrated with peering into optics - and your language coarsens a little.

        1. The last doughnut
          Happy

          Re: Who'd be an astronmer

          Oh yeh I know I know its all done using very clever techniques and sensors and you actually use the internet for proper science stuff. I just wanted to make the point about childish nerds thinking they have any rights in the naming of celestial bodies, that was all.

          Jeez I should check out replies to my comments more often :-)

  14. Mage Silver badge

    Not a problem

    Vulcan can be used for something larger.

  15. pyite

    Vulcan was a bad name

    Pluto is close to absolute zero -- you can't name a planed Vulcan if there are no volcanoes.

  16. sisk

    Vulcan was always inappropriate

    Not only does it not fit with Pluto's theme, but it doesn't fit with any other aspect of Pluto and it's moon. Vulcan was the Roman god of fire, and the fictional planet on Star Trek was a hot one. What possessed Shat to think that it was a good idea to name an ice ball after these is beyond me.

    1. Spoonsinger
      Coat

      Re:What possessed Shat to think that it was a good idea

      It's the Shat, what more reason do you need?

  17. Colin Miller

    <pedant>

    Cerebus has four heads - his tail was a snake, with it's own head

    </pedant>

    1. graeme leggett Silver badge

      Cerebus is an aardvark

      Cerberus is a three-headed hound of hell.

      Serpent's head as a tail, I associate with the Chimera

    2. Magani
      Headmaster

      If you're going to be a pedant...

      ... at least get the apostrophe rule correc for 'its' correct!

  18. i like crisps

    Can't we have some rude names?

    How about: "Approaching the planet 'Cock-Ring' captain"

    1. sisk

      Re: Can't we have some rude names?

      I believe that one would be a fitting tribute to Kirk....

  19. mmeier

    Well done! Another strike aganst the Fanatics calling themselves "Trekkies"

  20. Daniel B.

    Kerberos

    Great. Now I'm thinking either about the bear thingy from Sakura Card Captors, or an authentication system when I talk about that moon...

  21. OzBob

    A more important question

    Why are Vulcans named directly after their planet? I am an Earth-ling, Marvin was a Mar-tian but Spock is a Vulcan. Do they not believe in hyphens?

  22. Mitoo Bobsworth
    Happy

    I like Styx

    ...kind of appropriate really.

  23. Brunnen-G
    Headmaster

    Greek god Pluto?

    No, no, no!

    Hades is the Greek God.

    Pluto is the Roman one.

    1. gazthejourno (Written by Reg staff)

      Re: Greek god Pluto?

      Nope. See Princeton university's website: http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Pluto_%28mythology%29.html

      1. Brunnen-G
        Holmes

        Re: Greek god Pluto?

        Nope!

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hades

        Tip: Newer trust Mercins about European culture!

        1. Brunnen-G
          Happy

          Re: Greek god Pluto?

          And, BTW, every planet is named from the Roman Gods parnassum.

          Quite the coincidence, n'es pas?

  24. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    A better fit

    The names selected are a much better fit despite the opinion of a second-rate actor/third rate SF author.

    1. mmeier

      Re: A better fit

      Actually Shattner was the REPLACEMENT for a second rate actor (Jeffrey Hunter).

      He was more bearable in Hooker unless he stood between the camera and Heather Locklear

  25. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Should have called it....

    VULTAN and be done with it.

    GORDON'S ALIVE!

  26. cortland

    He's already in the books

    Shatner needn't feel slighted; Poul Anderson named a planet after him in 1967: Kirkasant.

    http://wikidi.com/view/analog-science-fiction-and-fact-august-1967-w-poul-anderson-s-starfog

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