For some time, I have been thinking that our moon needs a better name. I mean, Jupiter has moons named Io, Ganymede, Callisto, Europa, Amalthea, Himalia and Leda; and Saturn has Titan, Enceladus, Hyperion and Phoebe. Mars has Phoebos and Demos (Latin for fear and panic); Neptune has Triton (not to be confused with Titan), Galatea and Larissa; and Uranus has Juliet, Cupid, Portia, Belinda, Miranda and Margaret.
We are stuck with "moon." I realize that all those other planets have many, many orbiting satellites, but I don't see why we can't have one with a cool name. Ancient civilizations called it Luna and Selene, but we don't have a pretty name for it now. Just moon.
I guess maybe renaming it would play havoc with popular music, but I still think it would work. I'm liking "Garrett."
4 comments:
Enceladus and Ganymede sound like something your doctor tells you about in a somber voice.
Hyperion is, like, a computer software company or something.
Aye, Callisto, I sing to your spirit.
Belinda, Miranda and Margaret are the chubby girls from camp.
Portia is a stripper. (Sorry, Ellen.)
"The Moon."
It's like The City (NYC) or The Lake (Michigan) or The Slut (Paris Hilton).
(OhnoIdint!)
Props for the John Denver ref. Nothing else...
Officially, I think our Moon is still named Luna. That's what I call her, and most of the Chicago Astronomers call her that too. Among astronomers, it works, but when talking about Luna with the public, I usually refer to it as "our Moon."
I was under that impression, too, Paulie.
Sol and Luna.
Maybe not, though?
At any rate, I don't think we're going to be able to sell the college kids on "Luna-ing the opposing team's mascot."
:-P
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