New names for a couple of moons

[The Singing Badger]

For those who care about such things, S/2003 U3 (a moon of Uranus) has been named Margaret (rather bland choice, but whatever...) and S/2003 N1 (a moon of Neptune) has been named Psamathe (don't read this post out loud, you'll get spittle on your monitor).

For those who don't care about such things ... have fun scoffing at the geeks.

http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/append7.html

[eburacum45]

Margaret is apparently named after the servant of Hero in William Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing. Several of Uranus's moons are named after Shakespeare's characters; but the name Margaret does seem a bit humdrum (unless they were a fan of our former First Lord of the Treasury...)

[Tanketai]

What about Pluto's new moons? Anyone has seen suggestions on the web? What could be decent names for those two?

Erebus and Tartarus? (areas of the greek underworld)

Cerberus and Sisyphos? (dwellers of the underworld)

Acheron and Cocytus? (rivers of the underworld)

[The Singing Badger]

I think Cerberus is perfect because he was another guardian of the underworld, like Charon. I can't recall any other guardians, though. Persephone, the wife of Pluto, would also be perfect, but I suspect they'll give that name to 2003 UB313 if it's proven to be a planet.

[Malenfant]

Persephone, the wife of Pluto, would also be perfect, but I suspect they'll give that name to 2003 UB313 if it's proven to be a planet.

Nope. They've already ruled that out, it's already taken by a main belt asteroid.

[Hamiltonian]

http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/append7.html

They seem to have skipped a number in both cases. Margaret is Uranus XXIII, but there's no Uranus XXII listed. Psamathe is Neptune X, but there's no Neptune IX.

[Hamiltonian]

They seem to have skipped a number in both cases. Margaret is Uranus XXIII, but there's no Uranus XXII listed. Psamathe is Neptune X, but there's no Neptune IX.

I e-mailed the USGS. Jennifer Blue replied:

Names for Uranus XXII, XXIV, XXV, XXVI, and XXVII are being reviewed now by the Outer Solar System Task Group. You should see them appear on the web page in the not-too-distant future.

We hope to start the naming process for Neptune IX, XI, XII, and XIII soon.

Sorry they're out of sequence, but I thought it best to list all approved names rather than wait until we had all moons in the sequence named.

[bdm]

What about Pluto's new moons? Anyone has seen suggestions on the web? What could be decent names for those two?

Cerberus and Sisyphos? (dwellers of the underworld)

There are asteroids with these names:
1865 Cerberus
1866 Sisyphus

However, there are many moons that share names with asteroids already. Check out this list of asteroids/moons of Jupiter:
85 Io
52 Europa
1036 Ganymed
113 Amalthea
9 Metis
239 Adrastea
38 Leda