A dispute over the names of two new moons of Pluto is highlighting a broader battle over who names what in our solar system and beyond. On one side is the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a venerable consortium of astronomers who have set the naming rules for the better part of a century. On the other side, a growing number of astronomers who feel the IAU has unfairly designated itself as the intergalactic naming police.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Why You Can't Name New Moons And Planets Anything You Want [Article]
Nothing is above dispute, including naming of supernatural objects, as this article in the NPR describes.