The SETI Institute contest to name the two most recently discovered moons of Pluto has produced its two winners, Vulcan (which garnered the most votes) and Cerberus (which got the second most votes). Vulcan was the name of a planet thought to be located closer to the sun than Mercury, but is most famous as a world in the science fiction TV series Star Trek and its sequels and movies. In Roman mythology, Vulcan was the god of lava and smoke, and nephew of Pluto, god of the underworld. Cerberus was the name of the underworld's three-headed guard dog. Because there is an asteroid named Cerberus, its Greek equivalent Kerberos could possibly be used. The final say in naming the moons will go to the International Astronomical Union.
Unfortunately, the Walt Disney connection was disqualified. No moons will be named Mickey, Minnie or Goofy, or even Donald or Daisy, the last two suggested by Findalis of Monkey In The Middle when she commented on my previous post on this matter.
Read the story at the New York Post.
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