A planet named after the god of agriculture. How did the planets of the solar system get their names?

The names of the planets of the solar system came to us from Roman and Greek mythology. With the exception of Earth, all the planets in the solar system are named after ancient gods. The five planets visible to the naked eye (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) have been observed by humans throughout human history and have been called by different names in different cultures. Today's names of these 5 planets come to us from Roman culture. The Romans named these planets based on their motion and appearance. Prepared presentation by Anton Panin 5 “B”

As for the name “Earth,” it arose from the ancient root “zem-,” which can be translated as “floor” or “bottom.” In English, our planet is called the word “Earth,” which originates from the Anglo-Saxon “erda,” meaning “soil.” Then this word changes to “eorthe”, then to “erthe”. As a result, Earth, familiar to English speakers, was first used only a little over ten centuries ago.

Jupiter, like other planets, had many names in different cultures: “Mulu-babbar” in Mesopotamian culture, “Sui-Sin” in Chinese, “Star of Zeus” in Greek. The largest planet in the solar system received its final name in honor of the supreme god Jupiter, the god of sky and light.

When Uranus and Neptune were discovered, several names for each planet were considered and used until one became the standard. William Herschel, who discovered Uranus, wanted to name it after King George III. Other astronomers called it "Herschel" in honor of its discoverer. Astronomer Johann Bode suggested that it would be more appropriate to use the mythological name Uranus, which would fit harmoniously with the five planets named in antiquity. However, despite the proposal, the name Uranus was not widely used until 1850.

Pluto was discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Many names have been suggested, including: Lowell, Atlas, Artemis, Perseus, Vulan, Thanatala, Idana, Kronos, Zimal and Minerva (suggested by the New York Times). The name Pluto was suggested by 11-year-old Venetia Burney of Oxford, England, and then recommended to astronomers by observatory staff. Pluto won, perhaps because being named after the god of the underworld is a good fit for the outermost planet.

Starting from the Sun, the planets of the Solar System are located in the following order: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. It was previously believed that there was also a ninth planet in the solar system - Pluto. However, in 2006, a small revolution occurred in astronomy. Scientists have decided to demote Pluto in its stellar status: now it is not a planet, but a cosmic dwarf.

All planets in our solar system, with the exception of Earth, were named after the gods and goddesses of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece. Let's see who each planet is named after.

Mercury- the planet closest to the Sun in the Solar System, revolving around the Sun in 88 Earth days (That is, a year on Mercury lasts 88 Earth days). The planet is named after the ancient Roman god of trade, the fleet-footed Mercury, because it moves across the sky faster than other planets.

After Pluto was deprived of its planetary status in 2006, Mercury acquired the title of the smallest planet in the solar system.

Venus- the second planet of the solar system with an orbital period of 224.7 Earth days. Named after Venus, the goddess of love from the Roman pantheon. It is the only one of the eight major planets in the solar system to be named after a female deity. Venus is the third brightest object in the Earth's sky after the Sun and Moon.

Earth- the third planet from the Sun. The fifth largest among all the planets in the solar system. Scientific evidence indicates that the Earth formed from a solar nebula about 4.54 billion years ago and acquired its only natural satellite, the Moon, shortly thereafter. Presumably, life appeared on Earth approximately 3.9 billion years ago, that is, within the first billion after its origin. The Earth received its name in Russian due to its composition, that is, what is called “earth” in the narrow sense of the word. In the Old Slavic language, the root “earth-” was present in words such as “floor” and “bottom”. The English word "Earth" was first used as a name for the planet Earth only around 1400, and originated in the Anglo-Saxon language. At that time, the word “Erda” was used to describe soil or ground.

Mars- the fourth most distant planet from the Sun and the seventh largest planet in the solar system; The mass of the planet is 10.7% of the mass of the Earth. Named after Mars, the ancient Roman god of war.

Jupiter- the fifth planet from the Sun, the largest in the Solar System. Along with Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, Jupiter is classified as a gas giant. The planet has been known to people since ancient times, which is reflected in the mythology and religious beliefs of various cultures. The modern name of Jupiter comes from the name of the ancient Roman supreme god of thunder.

Saturn- the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god of agriculture.

Uranus- planet of the Solar System, seventh in distance from the Sun, third in diameter and fourth in mass. It was discovered in 1781 by the English astronomer William Herschel and named after the Greek god of the sky Uranus, the father of Kronos (in Roman mythology, Saturn) and, accordingly, the grandfather of Zeus (among the Romans - Jupiter).

Neptune- the eighth and most distant planet of the solar system. Neptune is also the fourth largest planet in diameter and third largest in mass. The mass of Neptune is 17.2 times, and the diameter of the equator is 3.9 times greater than that of the Earth. The planet was named after the Roman god of the seas.

And finally, the so-called cosmic dwarf - Pluto, not so long ago considered the ninth planet of the solar system, received its name from the ancient Roman god of the underworld of the dead.

A couple of times I came across stores named “Mercury” and “Neptune”, as well as the “Mars” cinema. There are planets with similar names in our solar system. Using information from viewed popular science TV shows and Wikipedia, let’s look at which characters astronomical objects are named after, as well as shopping and entertainment establishments.

Origin of the names of the terrestrial planets

These planets are so called because they are made of solid matter rather than gases. Let's make a list of them in order of distance from the Sun.

1. Mercury. This small planet has a thin atmosphere and sudden temperature changes. It is named after the ancient Roman god of trade Mercury for its rapid rotation and resourcefulness. In 3 months, Mercury manages to complete a full revolution around the Sun.
2. Venus. In the pre-dawn haze you can see this beautiful, glowing
   celestial body similar to a star. It was for its appearance that the planet was named after goddess of love.
3. Earth. This is our home planet. So called soil, soil. Exactly at
   Ancient farmers named the entire planet after the surface fertile layer.
4. Mars. For its ominous blood-red hue, the planet received the name god of war. I don’t know the origin of the name of the cinema :)

Origin of the names of the gas giant planets

These planets are large in size compared to the Earth and consist of gases. There are also 4 of them:

1. Jupiter. Named after main god on Olympus, probably for its size and beauty .
2. Saturn. Has beautiful gas cloud rings that can be easily
   look through a telescope. According to legend, Saturn, god of agriculture, used to lead Olympus until Jupiter overthrew him. The planet is named after the ex-ruler for its majestic appearance.
3. Uranus. It was discovered in the 18th century and named after sky god.
4. Neptune. The most distant planet was discovered in the 19th century and was named after god of the sea for its blue color.

Pluto according to modern classification, it is not a planet, but an asteroid, named after the ancient Roman dungeon god.

ORIGIN OF PLANET NAMES. PART - 1 The names of the planets of the solar system came to us from Roman and Greek mythology. With the exception of Earth, all the planets in the solar system are named after ancient gods. The five planets visible to the naked eye (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) have been observed by humans throughout human history and have been called by different names in different cultures. Today's names of these 5 planets come to us from Roman culture. The Romans named these planets based on their motion and appearance. Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, began to be observed in the 14th century BC. Different cultures, at different periods of time, gave different names to this planet. The planet was originally known as Ninuri, but later became known as Nabu. In Ancient Greece, at different times the planet bore the names Stilbon, Hermaon and Apollo. The name by which we know the planet today comes from the Romans, and is due to the fact that Mercury moves faster than other planets across the sky. Mercury is the fleet-footed Roman god of trade. Venus, being the brightest planet in the sky, got its name in honor of the Roman goddess of love and beauty. For your information, this is the only planet in the solar system that was named after a female deity. Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, is named after the ancient Roman god of war. However, not everyone knows that Mars was originally the god of fertility, and only later began to be personified with the Greek god of war, Ares. Saturn, the second largest planet in the solar system, received its name in honor of the god of agriculture, highly revered among the Romans. According to legend, this god taught people to build houses, grow plants and cultivate the land. Jupiter, like other planets, had many names in different cultures: “Mulu-babbar” in Mesopotamian culture, “Sui-Sin” in Chinese, “Star of Zeus” in Greek. The largest planet in the solar system received its final name in honor of the supreme god Jupiter, the god of sky and light. All these Roman names were adopted in European languages ​​and culture, and subsequently became standards in science. The remaining three planets: Uranus, Neptune and the now dwarf planet Pluto, due to their distance from Earth, were discovered much later, so it was not the Romans who gave them their names. When Uranus and Neptune were discovered, several names for each planet were considered and used until one became the standard. William Herschel, who discovered Uranus, wanted to name it after King George III. Other astronomers called it "Herschel" in honor of its discoverer. Astronomer Johann Bode suggested that it would be more appropriate to use the mythological name Uranus, which would fit harmoniously with the five planets named in antiquity. However, despite the proposal, the name Uranus was not widely used until 1850. The existence of the planet Neptune was predicted by two astronomers (John Couch Adams and Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier). When the planet was discovered using telescopes, a dispute arose over who should name the planet. Le Verrier wanted to name the planet after himself. However, the name Neptune was proposed and became the standard used by scientists. Pluto was discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Many names have been suggested, including: Lowell, Atlas, Artemis, Perseus, Vulan, Thanatala, Idana, Kronos, Zimal and Minerva (suggested by the New York Times). The name Pluto was suggested by 11-year-old Venetia Burney of Oxford, England, and then recommended to astronomers by observatory staff. Pluto won, perhaps because being named after the god of the underworld is a good fit for the outermost planet. One of Pluto's moons, which was discovered in 1978, was named by James Christie, who discovered it. James initially wanted to name it after his wife, Charlene, but rules of nomenclature in astronomy prevented him from doing so. While searching for another name, he came across the Greek mythological character Charon, whose name included the first part of his wife's name (in English). It was also a very appropriate name, since Charon transported people to the underworld, which fit well with the name of the planet, Pluto. Who is now responsible for the names of new planets? Since the organization of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1919, it has been responsible for the names of all celestial objects. When an astronomer discovers a new object, he can submit an application to the IAU, and the IAU in turn will confirm it or offer its name. After the MAC approved a list of nearly 700 names on the far side of the Moon in 1970 (100 more than were on the hemisphere visible from Earth), the total number of extraterrestrial names more than doubled, approaching 1,500. Along with hundreds of lunar place names, the first five names of craters on Mars were also fixed. Over the next decade, the number of alien names doubled again - by 1980 there were 3,200 of them. The first names appeared on maps of Mercury, Venus and the four large moons of Jupiter. In honor of the discoverer of these satellites, a large object on one of them, Ganymede, was named the Galilean region. The main contribution came from Mars. Based on survey data from the Mariner and Viking space stations, detailed maps of Mars were compiled, which required more than a thousand names. The craters of Mars began to be given the names of scientists involved in its exploration, albeit sometimes only indirectly. As a result, the newly created map of the Red Planet began to resemble the lunar one - dozens of names were repeated. And then MAC introduced a ban on the use of the same name on different planetary bodies. By 1990, there were almost 4,500 names on planets and moons, and by 2000 there were about 6,500. On Venus alone, more than 1,500 new names appeared thanks to radar imaging. The rapid increase in the number of alien names required vigilant maintenance of order. Therefore, back in 1973, MAC created six small (5-6 experts each) working groups: on the Moon, Mercury, Venus (it has been headed by the author of this article since 1994), Mars, satellites of the giant planets, as well as on asteroids and comets. The chairmen of these groups and several other names experts from different countries form the so-called large working group on names in the planetary system. She is giving final consideration to new names proposed by small groups. The work is completed quite quickly with constant contact via email. Two weeks are allotted for discussion in a small working group, then another two weeks in a large one. Approved Latin names are considered officially accepted international designations and are published on the Internet on the website http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov. Here you can find a complete nomenclature of names on planets, satellites and asteroids (Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature), maps of the location of objects, as well as comprehensive information about the origin of each of several thousand names. There is also an electronic application on the website for submitting proposals for new names. Sources:

The modern names of the five planets have come to us from ancient Greek and Roman mythology: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn have been observed by man throughout history. Even the first peoples in Egypt and Mesopotamia established the tradition of naming the heavenly bodies by the names of the deities of their pantheon. The Greeks, when giving names to the planets, also focused on their movement and appearance. And the Romans, after the conquest of Greece, renamed the celestial bodies by analogy with their pantheon.

So, among the Greeks the first planet of the solar system was called Hermes- in honor of the fleet-footed god of trade, who was the messenger of Zeus and, with the help of sandals with wings, could move in space with lightning speed. The Romans called it Mercury. Surely, ancient astronomers also took into account the fact that Mercury moves across the celestial sphere faster than other planets.

Venus got its name in honor of the goddess of love and beauty- it was the brightest body in the sky after the Sun and the Moon, for which it was also called the morning and evening dawn. It is the only planet in the system named after a female deity.

The earth is out of the general order for the reason that until the 16th century it was not considered a planet as such. Despite the fact that in Greek mythology her patron goddess was Gaia, who symbolized fertility, it was not customary to associate her with the earth underfoot. And the name for our planet was assigned only in 1400.

Scientists are not entirely unanimous about Mars: he was originally considered a god of fertility, and later became associated with the Greek Ares, the deity of war. In both cases, the name was due to the reddish tint of the planet's surface, which matched both the first and second descriptions.

Jupiter got its name in honor of the most important god of the pantheon(among the Greeks it was Zeus), who symbolized the sky and light itself. In Mesopotamian culture, by the way, the planet was called “Mulubabbar”, and in Chinese - “Sui-Sin”.

The Greeks called Saturn Kronos- in honor of the ancient Greek god of time and the fact that it is the slowest planet in the system. The analogue in Roman mythology was the god Saturn, who also patronized agriculture.

The following planets were discovered much later, but according to tradition they also received the names of the gods of the Roman pantheon.

In 1781, English astronomer William Herschel discovered Uranus. which he wanted to name after King George III. The astronomical community insisted that the planet bear the name of its discoverer. Astronomer Johann Bode proposed calling the new cosmic body Uranus, pointing out the advisability of continuing to use mythological names. Despite this, the name came into wide use only after 1850.

Neptune became the first planet not discovered through observation, but thanks to precise mathematical calculations. Its existence in 1846 was independently proven by two astronomers - D. C. Adams and I. Galle based on calculations by W. Le Verrier. Initially, the planet was planned to be named Janus, then Neptune, but Le Verrier unexpectedly changed his mind and wanted the new celestial body to be named after him. There was no support for him outside of France.

Pluto was discovered in 1930 by American Clyde Tombaugh, but in 2006 lost its status as a planet in the solar system. It got its name in honor of the god of the underworld (due to its distance from the Sun), and it was invented by 11-year-old Venice Bernie from Oxford while having breakfast with her grandfather. The grandfather turned out to be an employee of the Oxford University library and conveyed his granddaughter’s proposal to his colleague, Herbert Turner, who telegraphed the observatory in the USA, where the name was approved. Venice received £5 as a reward from her grandfather.

Since 1919 for the name of all new celestial bodies The International Astronomical Union responds: the astronomer who discovered the object applies there with a statement, and the union decides whether to accept it or propose its own version of the name.