Pandia, Ersa, Eirene, Philophrosyne and Eupheme. 5 Jupiter Moons Get New Name - by Natural satellite
The powerful planet Jupiter has five moons with new names suggested by the public: Pandia, Ersa, Eirene, Philophrosyne and Eupheme.
The names, suggested extensively by the children, came through a competition run by the Carnegie Institution for Science, with the approval of the International Astronomical Union, the official arbiter of international astronomical names.
Traditionally, the IAU assigns a provisional name to newly discovered objects (such as planets and moons) before coming up with a process to specify a permanent name. In recent years, the public has had a chance to come up with the name in some competitions, for objects other than alien stars and planets as well as Mercury craters.
Participants in the Jovian competition earlier this year had to contend with technical requirements set by the IAU. Those mandates include staying within the character limit and matching the direction of the Moon's orbit, which affects the last letter of the name. And this was only a beginning.
"There are many rules when it comes to how we name the moon," Carnegie astronomer Scott Sheppard said in a statement; In 2018, Shepard discovered 12 moons orbiting Jupiter, five of which were in the competition. "Most notably," he said, "Jovian naming conventions require several moons named after characters from Greek and Roman mythology who were either descendants of Zeus or Jupiter." (Jupiter is the Roman name of the Greek god Zeus.)
Pandia (formerly S / 2017 J4) was named for Selene, the daughter of Zeus and the moon goddess. Many submitted entries suggesting the name, but one that really caught Carnegie's attention came from Emma Hugo, who represented the Astronomy Club of Llivette School in Cornwall, UK. "Emma] tweeted a photo of the Astro Club with the Pandia sign and the school's panda mascot in honor of the village's former role as a bamboo supplier at the London Zoo," Carnegie said.
Ersa (formerly S / 2018 J1) takes her name from Pandia's sister, another daughter of Zeus and Selene. Carnegie said more than 20 tweets suggested the name, but the institution highlighted the contributions of space news aggregator Aaron Quah (who had previously sent the suggestion) and a 4-year-old man named Walter who sang a song about Irsa .
The likes of Irene (formerly S / 2003 J5) recognize the daughter of Zeus and Theosis, the goddess of peace. Carnegie received about 16 tweets with this suggestion. The first Twitter user was from Quadrupoeltencer, and another submission that caught the judges' eyes came from a 10-year-old man who enjoys Greek and Roman mythology.
Philofrosyn (formerly S / 2003 J15) is welcomed for his sense of welcome and kindness, also the granddaughter of Zeus. Carnegie highlighted several contestants suggesting the name, including Lunartic, a space fan who posted a YouTube video about the name's suggestion. The same video also suggested the name of the S / 2003 J3, Euphem, an alternative, which recognizes the appreciation and sense of good omen, which was Zeus's granddaughter and sister of Philofrosyn.