Hey, everybody, just wanna let you know about a recent bit of astrological news- the International Astronomical Union is going to be naming P4 and P5-- the two recently discovered moons of Pluto-- soon, and there's a contest where you can submit names for consideration!
Traditionally, Pluto's moons are named for figures in Greek and Roman mythology. The three currently named Plutonian moons are:
Charon -- The ferryman of Hades who ferries the souls of the dead across the River Styx into the underworld.
Nyx-- Mother of Charon, the Greek goddess of darkness and night.
Hydra-- The nine-headed serpent who Herakles fought as one of his twelve labors.
Names up for consideration for P4 and P5 are:
Acheron-- One of the five rivers of the Underworld, symbolizing pain.
Alecto-- One of the Furies, one of the hideous snake-haired monstrous servants of Hades. Her job is to punish mortals for the sin of anger.
Cerberus-- The three-headed dog who guards the gates of the Underworld, tasked with preventing the dead from escaping.
Erebus-- Personification of darkness and a primordial god, he fathered many children with Nyx, including Hypnos and Styx.
Eurydice-- The wife of Orpheus, for whom he entered the Underworld. During their escape from the Underworld, Orpheus violated his agreement with Persephone and looked upon Eurydice, causing him to lose her forever.
Herakles-- The demigod son of Zeus and Hera, he fought the nine-headed Hyrda and dragged back Cerberus. He is one of the few people to ever escape from Hades.
Hypnos-- One of the sons of Nyx, and the personification of sleep.
Lethe-- One of the five rivers of Hades, symbolizing oblivion. It flows through the caves of Hypnos and merges with the RIver Styx.
Obol-- A copper coin placed beneath the tongue of the recently dead, used to pay Charon for passage to the Underworld.
Orpheus-- A talented musician who entered Hades to save his beloved Eurydice, he charmed Hades and Persephone with his music. He is also one of a select few to escape from Hades.
Persephone-- Daughter of Demeter, she is a goddess who was kidnapped by Hades to become queen of the Underworld. Because she ate a pomegranate that was grown in Hades, she must spend six months of the year in the Underworld (symbolizing the chill of autumn and winter.)
Styx-- The river that separates our world from the Underworld. Styx can also refer to the daughter of Erebus and Nyx, named for the river.
Vulcan-- The god of the forge, lava, and smoke in Roman mythology (his Greek counterpart is Hephaestus.) Decidedly
not green-blooded or pointy-eared. You're thinking of those
other Vulcans.
Posted: Tue Feb 12, '13, 12:53 am 
