Pluto moons were named Styx and Kerberos after the river and three-headed dog in ancient Greece’s version of hell, it was reported this week.
The International Astronomical Union approved the names of the moons, which were called P4 and P5, and said they could only be named after things contained within Greek and Roman mythology. In classical mythology, Pluto-- or Hades--was the ruler of the Greek underworld.
Pluto’s other moon, Charon, is named after the riverboat driver who ferries souls to Hades.
Mark Showalter, a top scientist at the SETI Institute, told the BBC: “I was overwhelmed by the public response to the naming campaign.”
The IAU held a vote and Vulcan, named after the race of humanoids in “Star Trek,” got the top vote. However, the agency vetoed the move and used the second- and third-place names, according to the BBC.
The moons, which are only a few miles across in size, were discovered in July 2011 and July 2012.
Vulcan was nearly chosen, however.
“The IAU gave serious consideration to this name, which happens to be shared by the Roman god of volcanoes,” SETI officials said in a statement obtained by Space.com.
It added: “However, because that name has already been used in astronomy, and because the Roman god is not closely associated with Pluto, this proposal was rejected.”
