List of geological features on Pluto

Annotated map of Pluto. Meng-p'o Macula and Yutu Linea are split across the edges of the map.

The geological features on Pluto are being identified by scientists working with data from the New Horizons spacecraft. The International Astronomical Union has determined that the names for these features will be chosen from the following themes:[1]

  1. Names for the underworld from the world's mythologies.
  2. Gods, goddesses, and dwarfs associated with the underworld.
  3. Heroes and other explorers of the underworld.
  4. Writers associated with Pluto and the Kuiper belt.
  5. Scientists and engineers associated with Pluto and the Kuiper belt.

The following is a list of unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team but not yet approved by the IAU.[2] Not all of the names correspond with the themes listed above.

Cavi

A cavus is a hollow or steep-sided depression. One cavus has been identified on Pluto thus far; it is named after a mythological underworld.

Feature Named after
Quidlivun Cavus The land on the Moon where the souls of the dead find rest in Inuit mythology

Colles

A collis is a low hill. Plutonian colles are being named after spacecraft that operated in Earth orbit.

Feature Named after
Astrid Colles The Astrid program, Sweden's first satellites
Challenger Colles Honours the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger
Coleta de Dados Colles Satélite de Coleta de Dados, first Brazilian satellite
Columbia Colles Honours the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia
Soyuz Colles The Soyuz program; honors the loss of Soyuz 11

Craters

Plutonian craters are being named after scientists and other people associated with the study of Pluto.

Feature Named after
Brinton Henry Brinton, NASA administrator instrumental in Pluto studies
Burney Venetia Burney, who proposed the name of Pluto
Coradini Angioletta Coradini, Italian astronomer
Drake Michael Julian Drake, British-American astronomer who chaired the committee that approved the New Horizons mission
Elliot James L. Elliot, discoverer of Pluto's atmosphere
Farinella Paolo Farinella, Italian astronomer
Giclas Henry L. Giclas, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory
Guest John Guest,[3] British volcanologist and planetary scientist
H. Smith Harlan Smith, astronomer and director of McDonald Observatory
Harrington Robert Sutton Harrington, co-discoverer of Charon
Hollis Andrew J. Hollis, British astronomer
K. Edgeworth Kenneth Edgeworth, Irish astronomer who posited the Kuiper Belt
Kowal Charles T. Kowal, American astronomer who discovered the first centaur
Oort Jan Oort, Dutch astronomer who posited the Oort Cloud
Pulfrich Carl Pulfrich, German physicist who developed the blink-comparator used to discover Pluto
Safronov Viktor Safronov, Russian astronomer
Simonelli Damon Simonelli, American astronomer and Pluto geologist

Dorsa

A dorsum is a ridge. Plutonian dorsa are being named after underworlds in mythology.

Feature Named after
Pandemonium Dorsa Pandæmonium, the capital of Hell in the poems of John Milton
Tartarus Dorsa Tartarus, the pit of hell in Greek mythology

Fossae

A fossa is a ditch-like feature. Plutonian fossae are being named after figures associated with underworld myths.

Feature Named after
Beatrice Fossa Beatrice Portinari, Purgatory to Heaven in The Divine Comedy
Djanggawul Fossae Djanggawul, Yolngu creation figures from the Island of the Dead
Dumuzi Fossa Dumuzid, legendary Sumerian king who replaced his wife Inanna in the underworld
Inanna Fossa Inanna, Sumerian queen who descended to the underworld
Sleipnir Fossa Sleipnir, the steed Odin rides to the underworld
Sun Wukong Fossa Sun Wukong, the Chinese Monkey King who went to Hell
Virgil Fossa Virgil, as Dante's guide through Hell and Purgatory in The Divine Comedy

Lineae

A linea is an elongated marking. Plutonian lineae are being named after space probes.

Feature Named after
Chandrayaan Linea the Chandrayaan program, India's first lunar probes
Luna Linea the Luna program, the first spacecraft to visit the Moon
Yutu Linea Yutu, the first Chinese lunar rover

Maculae

A macula is a dark spot. Plutonian maculae are being named after underworld creatures from fiction and mythology.

Feature Named after
Ala Macula Ala, an Igbo god of the underworld
Balrog Macula balrog, an underground demon in the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien
Cadejo Macula cadejo, from Central American folklore
Hun-Came Macula One of the two leading Maya death gods from the Popol Vuh
Krun Macula Krun, the Mandaean overlord of the underworld
Meng-p'o Macula Meng Po, the Chinese goddess of forgetfulness after death
Morgoth Macula Morgoth, a figure of evil in the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien
Vucub-Came Macula One of the two leading Maya death gods from the Popol Vuh

Montes

A mons is a mountain. Plutonian montes (mountain ranges) are being named after explorers and adventurers.

Feature Named after
al-Idrisi Montes Muhammad al-Idrisi, medieval Almoravid explorer
Baré Montes Jeanne Baré, first woman to circumnavigate the Earth
Hillary Montes Edmund Hillary, first to scale Mount Everest (with Tenzing Norgay)
Norgay Montes Tenzing Norgay, first to scale Mount Everest (with Edmund Hillary)
Piccard Mons Auguste Piccard, conducted measurements of the upper atmosphere using balloons to reach an altitude of 23 kilometers
Wright Mons Wilbur Wright and Orville Wright, invention of the airplane, first airplane flight [4]
Zheng He Montes Zheng He, medieval Chinese explorer

Plana

A planum is a plateau or high plain. Only one has been identified thus far on Pluto; it is named after a space probe.

Feature Named after
Sputnik Planum Sputnik 1, the first satellite to orbit the Earth

Planitiae

A planitia is a low plain, distinct from plana as they are located on lower terrain. Only one has been named currently, named after a historical explorer, and sharing its name with the nearby Piri Rupes

Feature Named after
Piri Planitia [5] Piri Reis, the creator of the first map of the new world

Regiones

A regio is a region geographically distinct from its surroundings. Plutonian regiones are being named after underworld spirits in fiction and mythology, or after scientists associated with the study of Pluto.

Feature Named after
Cthulhu Regio Cthulhu, an ancient deity in the writings of H.P. Lovecraft
Lowell Regio Percival Lowell, whose ideas about Planet X inadvertently led to Pluto's discovery
Tombaugh Regio Clyde Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto

Rupēs

A rupes in an escarpment. Plutonian rupēs are being named after explorers.

Feature Named after
Cousteau Rupes Jacques Cousteau, undersea explorer
Eriksson Rupes Leif Erikson, first Norse explorer of America
Piri Rupes[5] Piri Reis, the creator of the first map of the new world

Terrae

A terra is an extensive landmass. Plutonian terrae are being named after space probes.

Feature Named after
Hayabusa Terra Hayabusa, the first spacecraft to return a sample of an asteroid
Pioneer Terra the Pioneer program, the first spacecraft to explore the outer Solar System
Vega Terra[5] the Vega program, which dropped probes onto Venus' surface along with the first close flybys to Comet Halley
Venera Terra the Venera program, first landers on Venus
Viking Terra the Viking program, landers on Mars
Voyager Terra the Voyager program, the first probes to Uranus, Neptune and interstellar space

Valles

A vallis is a valley. The lone Plutonian vallis identified thus far is named after an explorer.

Feature Named after
Kupe Vallis Kupe, legendary discoverer of New Zealand

See also

References

  1. ↑ Naming of Astronomical Objects, by UAI
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/About/History/Obituaries-2001-onwards/Obituaries-2012/John-Edward-Guest
  4. ↑ "Tally Results". Ourpluto.org. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 "What's eating at Pluto?". NASA. NASA. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
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