The naming of natural satellites has been the responsibility of the IAU's committee for Planetary System Nomenclature since 1973. That committee is known today as the Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN). Moons of solar system scaled to Earths Moon A natural satellite is a moon (not capitalized), that is, any natural object that orbits a planet. ... Logo of the IAU The International Astronomical Union (French: Union astronomique internationale) unites national astronomical societies from around the world. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ...

Prior to its formation, the names of satellites have had varying histories. The choice of names is often determined by a satellite's discoverer; however, historically some satellites were not given names for many decades or even centuries after their discovery.

Mars

The moons of Mars (Phobos and Deimos) were named by Asaph Hall in 1878, soon after he discovered them. Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the solar system, named after the Roman god of war (the counterpart of the Greek Ares), on account of its blood red color as viewed in the night sky. ... Phobos (IPA , Greek Φόβος: Fright), is the larger and innermost of Mars two moons, and is named after Phobos, son of Ares (Mars) from Greek Mythology. ... Deimos (IPA or ; Greek Δείμος: Dread), is the smaller and outermost of Mars’ two moons, named after Deimos from Greek Mythology. ... Asaph Hall (October 15, 1829 – November 22, 1907) was an American astronomer who is most famous for having discovered the moons of Mars (namely Deimos and Phobos) in 1877. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Jupiter

See also Jupiter's natural satellites Jupiter has 63 known natural satellites. ...

The Galilean moons of Jupiter (Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto) were named by Simon Marius soon after their discovery in 1610. However, by the late 19th century these names had fallen out of favor, and for a long time (until the mid 20th century) it was most common to refer to them in the astronomical literature simply as "Jupiter I", "Jupiter II", etc., or as "the first satellite of Jupiter", "Jupiter's second satellite", etc. Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure trace Sulfur dioxide 90% Io (eye-oe, IPA: , Greek Ῑώ) is the innermost of the four Galilean moons of Jupiter. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 1 µPa Oxygen 100% Europa redirects here. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure trace Oxygen 100% Ganymede (gan-É™-meed, IPA: ; Greek Γανυμήδης) is Jupiters largest moon, and indeed the largest moon in the entire solar system; it is larger in diameter than Mercury but only about half its mass. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure trace Carbon dioxide 100% Callisto (kÉ™-lis-toe, IPA: ; Greek Καλλιστώ) is a moon of the planet Jupiter, discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei. ... Simon Marius Simon Marius (January 10, 1573 – December 26, 1624) was a German astronomer. ... // Events January 7 - Galileo Galilei discovers the Galilean moons of Jupiter. ...

The moons of Jupiter discovered between 1904 and 1951 were not named until 1975, being known until then simply by their Roman numeral designations (Jupiter VI through Jupiter XII). The moon Amalthea (Jupiter V), discovered in 1892, was unofficially named but its name was also not made official until 1975. Since the names of the Galilean satellites themselves had fallen out of favor, it is perhaps not unusual that the discoverers of the new smaller satellites did not see fit to name them either. Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 70 kPa Hydrogen ~86% Helium ~14% Methane 0. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... Atmospheric pressure 0 kPa Amalthea (am-É™l-thee-É™, IPA: , Greek Αμάλθεια) is the third moon of Jupiter (in order of distance from the planet), and the fifth in order of discovery, hence its Roman numeral designation of Jupiter V. It was discovered on September 9, 1892 by Edward Emerson Barnard using... 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Most likely Charles Kowal's discovery of Leda (Jupiter XIII) in 1974 finally prompted the International Astronomical Union to establish a formal nomenclature process. Charles Thomas Kowal (born November 8, 1940) is an American astronomer. ... Atmospheric pressure 0 kPa Leda (lee-da, IPA , Greek Λήδα) is a satellite of Jupiter that was discovered by Charles T. Kowal at the Mount Palomar Observatory on September 14, 1974, right after three nights worth of photographic plates had been taken (September 11 through 13; Leda appears on all of... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ... Logo of the IAU The International Astronomical Union (French: Union astronomique internationale) unites national astronomical societies from around the world. ...

Current practice is that newly discovered moons of Jupiter must be named after lovers of the mythological Jupiter (Zeus). A convention has also emerged among the outer moons, whereby prograde moons are given names ending in 'a' or 'o', and retrograde moons receive names ending in 'e'. In 2004, with new Jovian moons continuing to be discovered, these rules were found to be excessively restrictive, and so the IAU agreed to permit moons to be named after Zeus's descendants as well. Jupiter et Thétis - by Jean Ingres, 1811. ... Statue of Zeus Phidias created the 12-m (40-ft) tall statue of Zeus at Olympia about 435 BC. The statue was perhaps the most famous sculpture in ancient Greece, imagined here in a 16th-century engraving. ... Prograde motion is the motion of a planetary body in a direction similar to that of other bodies within its system, and is sometimes called direct motion, especially in astrology. ... Prograde motion is the motion of a planetary body in a direction similar to that of other bodies within its system, and is sometimes called direct motion, especially in astrology. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Saturn

See also Saturn's natural satellites The Saturnian System (photographic montage) Saturn Rings and Satellites. ...

The seven known moons (at the time) of Saturn were named in 1847 by John Herschel. Herschel's system was to name Saturn's moons after the mythological Greek Titans. Until then, Titan was known as the "Huygenian (or Huyghenian) satellite of Saturn" and the other moons had Roman numeral designations in order of their distance from Saturn. Subsequent discoverers of Saturnian moons followed Herschel's scheme: Hyperion was discovered soon after in 1848; the ninth moon, Phoebe was named by its discoverer in 1899 soon after its discovery; and the name of Janus was suggested by its discoverer, Audouin Dollfus. Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 140 kPa Hydrogen >93% Helium >5% Methane 0. ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... John Herschel Sir John Frederick William Herschel (7 March 1792 – 11 May 1871) was an English mathematician and astronomer. ... In Greek mythology, the Titans (Greek Τιτάν, plural Τιτάνες) were a race of powerful deities that ruled during the legendary Golden Age. ... Atmospheric characteristics Pressure 146. ... Hyperion (hye-peer-ee-É™n, IPA , Greek Ὑπερίων) is a moon of Saturn discovered by William Cranch Bond, George Phillips Bond and William Lassell in 1848. ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other meanings see Phoebe. ... 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Janus (jay-nus, Greek Ιανός) is a moon of Saturn. ... Audouin Charles Dollfus (November 12, 1924 – ) is a French astronomer. ...

Current IAU practice for newly discovered inner moons is to continue with Herschel's system, naming them after Titans or their descendants. However, the increasing number of moons that were being discovered in the 21st century caused the IAU to draw up a new scheme for the outer moons, which are named after giants in the mythologies of other cultures. Since the outer moons fall naturally into three groups, one group is named after Norse giants, one after Gallic giants, and one after Inuit giants. The only moon that fails to fit this scheme is the Greek-named Phoebe, which is in the Norse group. This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... Norse or Scandinavian mythology comprises the pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian people, including those who settled on Iceland, where the written sources for Norse mythology were assembled. ... Celtic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the religion of the Iron Age Celts. ... Inuit mythology has many similarities to the religions of other polar regions. ...

Uranus

See also Uranus' natural satellites Uranus has 27 known moons. ...

The first two Uranian moons, discovered in 1787, did not receive names until 1852, a year after two more moons had been discovered. The responsibility for naming was taken by John Herschel, son of the discoverer of Uranus. Herschel broke with tradition: instead of assigning names from Greek mythology, he named the moons after magical spirits in English literature: Oberon and Titania from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Ariel and Umbriel from Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock. 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... John Herschel Sir John Frederick William Herschel (7 March 1792 – 11 May 1871) was an English mathematician and astronomer. ... // Greek mythology consists in part in a large collection of narratives that explain the origins of the world and detail the lives and adventures of a wide variety of gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines. ... The term English literature refers to literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; Joseph Conrad was Polish, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Edgar Allan Poe was American, Salman Rushdie is Indian. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... A Midsummer Nights Dream is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare written sometime in the mid-1590s. ... Alexander Pope, an English poet best known for his Essay on Criticism and Rape of the Lock Pope, circa 1727. ... The Rape of the Lock is a mock-heroic poem written by Alexander Pope, first published in 1712 in two cantos, and then reissued in 1714 in a much-expanded 5-canto version. ...

Subsequent naming choices have accorded with Herschel's choices. In 1949, the fifth moon, Miranda, was named by its discoverer after a character in Shakespeare's The Tempest. Current IAU practice is to name moons after characters from Shakespeare's plays and The Rape of the Lock (although the names from Shakespeare far outnumber those from Pope). At first, the outermost moons were all named after characters from one play, The Tempest; but with Margaret being named from Much Ado About Nothing that trend has ended. 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... Atmospheric pressure 0 kPa Miranda (mi-ran-da) is the smallest and innermost of Uranus major moons. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Atmospheric pressure 0 kPa Margaret (mar-grit)is a natural satellite of Uranus. ... Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy by William Shakespeare. ...

Neptune

See also Neptune's natural satellites Neptune has 13 known moons. ...

The one known moon (at the time) of Neptune was not named for many decades. Although the name Triton was suggested in 1880, it did not come into general use until the mid 20th-century. In the astronomical literature it was simply referred to as "the satellite of Neptune". Later, the second known moon, Nereid, was named by its discoverer in 1949 soon after its discovery. Atmospheric characteristics Surface pressure ≫100 MPa Hydrogen - H2 80% ±3. ... Triton (trye-tÉ™n, IPA , Greek Τρίτων), or Neptune I, is the planet Neptunes largest moon. ... 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Voyager 2 view of Nereid. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ...

Current IAU practice for newly discovered Neptunian moons is to accord with these first two choices by naming them after Greek sea deities.

Pluto

The name of Pluto's moon Charon was suggested by James W. Christy, its discoverer, soon after its discovery. Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 0. ... Media:Example. ... Headline text KJHFUIV ...

The other two moons currently have temporary names S/2005 P 1 and S/2005 P 2. S/2005 P 1 is a natural satellite of Pluto. ... Discovery images of S/2005 P 2. ...

Recent developments

As of the IAU General Assembly in July 2004 [1], the WGPSN: 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• named 34 satellites of Jupiter and Saturn and one Uranus satellite, bringing the total number of known planetary satellites to 101, with over two dozen more awaiting recovery and naming;
• suggested it may become advisable to not name small satellites (current CCD technology makes it possible to discover satellites as small as 1 km);
• allowed Jovian satellites to be named for Zeus' descendants in addition to his lovers and favorites which were the previous source of names;
• allowed satellites of Saturn to have names of giants and monsters in mythologies other than the Greco-Roman, including (so far) Gallic, Inuit and Norse.

A specially developed CCD used for ultraviolet imaging in a wire bonded package. ... Statue of Zeus Phidias created the 12-m (40-ft) tall statue of Zeus at Olympia about 435 BC. The statue was perhaps the most famous sculpture in ancient Greece, imagined here in a 16th-century engraving. ... Map of Gaul circa 58 BC Gaul (Latin Gallia, Greek Galatia) was the region of Western Europe occupied by present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ... Inuit mythology has many similarities to the religions of other polar regions. ... Norse or Scandinavian mythology comprises the pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian people, including those who settled on Iceland, where the written sources for Norse mythology were assembled. ...

See also

• Timeline of natural satellites
• Astronomical naming conventions
• Provisional designation in astronomy

Timeline of natural satellites in the Solar system by decade of discovery For comparison, discovery dates of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are also included, as well as the first six asteroids. ... In ancient times, only the Sun and Moon, a few hundred stars and the most easily visible planets had names. ... Provisional designation of in astronomy is the naming convention applied to astronomical objects immediately following their discovery. ...

References

• John Herschel names the seven known satellites of Saturn: MNRAS 8 (1848) 42 in his 1847 publication of Results of Astronomical Observations made at the Cape of Good Hope)
• John Herschel names the four known satellites of Uranus: AN, 34 (1852) 325/326 in 1852
• Asaph Hall names his two newly-discovered satellites of Mars: AN, 92 (1878) 47/48 in 1878.
• Seth Barnes Nicholson declines to name satellites of Jupiter he has discovered: PASP 51 (1939) 93
• IAUC 2846: Names for some satellites of Jupiter
• IAUC 3872: Names for some satellites of Jupiter and Saturn
• IAUC 4157: Names for some satellites of Saturn and satellite of Pluto
• IAUC 4609: Names for some satellites of Saturn and Uranus
• IAUC 5347: Names for some satellites of Saturn and Neptune
• IAUC 7479: Names for some satellites of Uranus
• IAUC 7998: Names for some satellites of Jupiter (error for Megaclite) correction
• IAUC 8177: Names for some satellites of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus (later changed for Skathi, Suttungr, Thrymr)
• IAUC 8471 New names for satellites of Saturn (subscription-only)
• IAUC 8502 New names for satellites of Jupiter (subscription-only)
• Astronomical Headlines
• Astronomical headlines (old)
• Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature