The Solar System got a little bit bigger last month when an elusive Tenth planet was discovered. Bigger and colder than Pluto it's the largest object yet found in our solar system's icy asteroid layer, the Kuiper Belt, and could well be the first in a long line of extra system entities.

But planet 2003 UB313, as it has been temporarily named, still has many scientists in a twist not only for the fact of it being completely overlooked over several hundred years of telescopically enhanced astronomy, but in what on Earth to name the thing:

"1. Persephone (Greek) or Proserpina (Roman)

Many considered this the obvious favourite for naming the new planet, since Roman mythology has it that Pluto (or Hades, in Greek mythology) kidnapped Persephone, and made her his wife. So distraught was Persephone’s mother that her grief created winter. Very apt, since planets do not, as yet, get any colder than our most distant new addition. The only, but significant, problem with this name is that is already taken. As Brown himself points out: “Sadly, the name was used in 1895 as a name for the 399th known asteroid." - New Scientist Link

New Scientist asked their readers to come up with a top ten list of possibilities, many of them hailing from Greek and Roman mythology, but where science begins to tread science fiction has already stomped out the campfire - and the naming of the solar system's tenth planet is no exception.

Rupert was the name given the planet in Douglas Adams' magnificent 5th Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy book, Mostly Harmless. And it definitely stands as my personal first choice...

"The planet was named Persephone, but rapidly nicknamed Rupert after some astronomer's parrot - there was some tediously heart-warming story attached to this - and that was all very wonderful and lovely." - from Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams

Influencing science fact with science fiction isn't a new phenomenon, and by no means would it be frowned upon. I bet a decent chunk of astronomers would relish the chance to remember Douglas Adams in such a monumental way. What would you call the Tenth planet?

Categories: Science, Astronomy, Cosmology, News, Rupert, DNA, Links, 2003 UB313, Planets

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