California Institute of Technology (Caltech) astronomer Michael Brown and planetary scientist Konstantin Batygin released a report on The Astronomical Journal on Jan. 20 saying that they may have found evidence that supports the possibility of another planet in our solar system. The researches came to this conclusion after observing a cluster of Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) that seem to be following a certain orbit and the only explanation is that they are orbiting a distant exoplanet.
The mysterious planet has yet to be observed but both Brown and Batygin urge enthusiasts and the general public alike to help them find evidence of the planet which they temporarily called Planet 9. They released the orbit of Planet 9 so anyone with a powerful telescope can join in their quest to validate its existence.
Likewise, they're also crowd-sourcing possible names to propose for the elusive planet, although their preference is to name it "George" as homage to astronomer William Herschel who discovered Uranus and wanted to name it "Georgium Sidus" but whose wish was, obviously, not granted. Now, George is a nice name and all but to name a planet "George" kind of reminds us of the classic Looney Tunes bit below.
So this is all in good, well thought-out fun but we have suggestions of our own for the two scientists and these are aligned with the following rules set forth by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in naming exoplanets.
Rules On Naming We Followed
1. Do not use names that have political, military and religious significance, at least not from anyone who existed by the 19th Century
2. If you use a name from a certain belief system, no matter how small a tribe the belief originated from, you must ask for and be granted permission to use the name.
3. For commemorative names, the person must have a high and enduring international standing and must be dead for at least three years.
List Of Possible Names And Why They Fit
Naming the mystery "Planet 9" is both daunting and exciting for the same reason: no one has seen it so no one is sure what kind of features it has. Still, we have suggestions based on the way it was able to hide from us this whole time.
1. Nyx or Nox
Nyx is a primordial deity in Greek Mythology and Nox is her Roman equivalent and they are both personifications of darkness. She is believed to possess exceptional power and beauty that even Zeus feared her. Naming Planet 9 after Nyx (or Nox) may be a good idea because it's not clear how it got to its current location but one hypothesis is that it was ejected by the gravitational forces of the bigger planets - who happen to be named after the Roman equivalent of the Big Three in Greek mythology.
2. Lord Voldemort
Lord Voldemort fits the qualifications because he is definitely well-known internationally- just not in a good way, he was able to hide out for over 10 years and he's been dead for more than three years. He doesn't have a nose so, even if there aren't any mountainous regions in Planet Lord Voldemort, it won't be offensive. All they have to do is contact J.K. Rowling to receive permission. If it shows up and it looks like a skull, though, we suggest switching to "Morsmordre."
3. Gallifrey or Skaro
These two planets from "Doctor Who" has been lost, found and lost again and even The Doctor is not sure where to find both. Then again, these two planets are home to the most destructive races in all galaxies so, never mind.
4. PluTwo
Simply because it was Brown's efforts that caused Pluto's status as a planet to be revoked so Brown should make amends and treat Planet 9 as the second Pluto, hence, PluTwo.
