List of geological features on Pluto
This is a list of named geological features on Pluto, identified by scientists working with data from the New Horizons spacecraft. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially approved the first 14 names on 8 August 2017 (announced 7 September 2017),[2] with additional names following in each subsequent year, but many of the names listed on this page are still informal.[3] The IAU has determined that names will be chosen from the following themes:[4][5]
- Names for the underworld from the world's mythologies
- Gods, goddesses, and dwarfs associated with the underworld
- Heroes and other explorers of the underworld
- Writers associated with Pluto and the Kuiper belt
- Pioneering space missions and spacecraft
- Scientists and engineers associated with Pluto and the Kuiper belt
Cavi
A cavus is a hollow or steep-sided depression. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team.[4][6]
| Feature | Named after | Name approved (Date · Ref) |
|---|---|---|
| Adlivun Cavus | Underworld in Inuit myths | 2017-08-08 · WGPSN |
| Baralku Cavi | Baralku, the island of the dead in Yolngu culture | — |
| Hekla Cavus | An Icelandic volcano believed to be the entrance to Hell in medieval European times | 2018-05-30 · WGPSN |
| Quidlivun Cavus | The land on the Moon where the souls of the dead find rest in Inuit mythology | — |
Colles
A collis is a low hill. Plutonian colles are named after spacecraft that operated in Earth orbit. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team.[4]
| Feature | Named after | Name approved (Date · Ref) |
|---|---|---|
| Astrid Colles | The Astrid program, Sweden's first satellites | — |
| Challenger Colles | Honors the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger | — |
| Coleta de Dados Colles | Satélite de Coleta de Dados, first Brazilian satellite | — |
| Columbia Colles | Honors the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia | — |
| Soyuz Colles | The Soyuz program; honors the loss of Soyuz 11 | — |
Craters
Plutonian craters are named after scientists and other people associated with the study of Pluto. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team.[4]
| Feature | Named after | Name approved (Date · Ref) |
|---|---|---|
| Brinton | Henry Brinton, NASA administrator instrumental in Pluto studies | — |
| Burney | Venetia Burney, who proposed the name of Pluto | 2017-08-08 · WGPSN |
| Coradini | Angioletta Coradini, Italian astronomer | — |
| Coughlin | Thomas Boyd Coughlin, American mechanical and space engineer, first project manager of the New Horizons mission | 2020-01-03 · WGPSN |
| Drake | Michael Julian Drake, British-American astronomer who chaired the committee that approved the New Horizons mission | — |
| Edgeworth | Kenneth Edgeworth, Irish astronomer who posited the Kuiper Belt | 2021-02-03 · WGPSN |
| Elliot | James L. Elliot, discoverer of Pluto's atmosphere | 2017-08-08 · WGPSN |
| Farinella | Paolo Farinella, Italian astronomer | — |
| Giclas | Henry L. Giclas, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory | — |
| Guest | John Guest, British volcanologist and planetary scientist | — |
| H. Smith | Harlan Smith, astronomer and director of McDonald Observatory | — |
| Hardaway | Lisa Hardaway, American aerospace engineer and program manager for the RALPH telescope on New Horizons | 2020-08-05 · WGPSN |
| Hardie | Robert H. Hardie, American astronomer, co-discoverer of Pluto's 6.4-day rotation period | 2020-01-03 · WGPSN |
| Harrington | Robert Sutton Harrington, co-discoverer of Charon | — |
| Hollis | Andrew Hollis, British astronomer | — |
| Khare | Bishun Khare, Indian-American chemist specialized in planetary atmospheres, studied tholins extensively | 2019-05-30 · WGPSN |
| Kiladze | Rolan Il'ich Kiladze, Georgian astronomer who investigated the dynamics, astrometry, and photometry of Pluto | 2019-05-30 · WGPSN |
| Kowal | Charles T. Kowal, American astronomer who discovered the first centaur | — |
| Oort | Jan Oort, Dutch astronomer who posited the Oort Cloud | 2021-02-03 · WGPSN |
| Pulfrich | Carl Pulfrich, German physicist who developed the blink-comparator used to discover Pluto | 2020-08-05 · WGPSN |
| Safronov | Viktor Safronov, Russian astronomer | — |
| Simonelli | Damon Simonelli, American astronomer and Pluto geologist | 2019-05-30 · WGPSN |
| Zagar | Damon Francesco, Italian astronomer who carried out early studies of the orbit of Pluto | 2020-08-05 · WGPSN |
Dorsa
A dorsum is a ridge. Plutonian dorsa are named after underworlds in mythology. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team.[4]
| Feature | Named after | Name approved (Date · Ref) |
|---|---|---|
| Pandemonium Dorsa | Pandæmonium, the capital of Hell in the poems of John Milton | — |
| Tartarus Dorsa | Tartarus, the pit of hell in Greek mythology | 2017-08-08 · WGPSN |
Fluctūs
A Fluctus is a terrain covered by outflow of liquid. Plutonian fluctūs are named after travellers to the underworld. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team.[4] [6]
| Feature | Named after | Name approved (Date · Ref) |
|---|---|---|
| Dionysus Fluctus | The god Dionysus from Greek mythology, who travels to Hades (the underworld) to bring the playwright Euripides back | — |
| Mpobe Fluctus | Mpobe from Baganda mythology, a hero who willingly enters the underground world | — |
| Pere Porter Fluctus | Pere Porter is the character of a 16th-17th century moral novel who travels to hell | — |
| Xanthias Fluctus | Xanthias from Greek mythology, the slave who joins Dionysus on his travel to the underworld | — |
Fossae
A fossa is a ditch-like feature. Plutonian fossae are named after figures associated with underworld myths. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team.[4]
| Feature | Named after | Name approved (Date · Ref) |
|---|---|---|
| Beatrice Fossa | Beatrice, visits hell and asks Virgil to guide Dante in Dante's Inferno | 2021-02-03 · WGPSN |
| Djanggawul Fossae | Djanggawul, Yolngu creation figures from the Island of the Dead | 2017-08-08 · WGPSN |
| Dumuzi Fossa | Dumuzi, Sumerian fertility god who replaced his wife Inanna in the underworld | 2021-02-03 · WGPSN |
| Hermod Fossae | Hermod, son of Odin, who rode the horse Sleipnir into the underworld to retrieve his brother Balder | 2019-09-25 · WGPSN |
| Inanna Fossa | Inanna, Sumerian goddess who descended to the underworld | 2021-02-03 · WGPSN |
| Kaknú Fossa | Kaknú, legendary Ohlone hero who resembled a peregrine falcon, who travelled to the underworld to battle Wiwe | 2019-08-13 · WGPSN |
| Mwindo Fossae | Mwindo, legendary Nyanga hero who travelled to the underworld | 2019-05-30 · WGPSN |
| Sleipnir Fossa | Sleipnir, the steed Odin rides to the underworld | 2017-08-08 · WGPSN |
| Sun Wukong Fossa | Sun Wukong, the Chinese Monkey King who went to Hell | — |
| Uncama Fossa | Uncama, Zulu tale hero who followed a porcupine underground and came upon the village of dead souls | 2020-01-03 · WGPSN |
| Virgil Fossae | Virgil, Dante's guide through Hell and Purgatory in The Divine Comedy | 2017-08-08 · WGPSN |
Lacūs
A lacus is a small plain, derived from the word lake. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team.[4][6]
| Feature | Named after | Name approved (Date · Ref) |
|---|---|---|
| Alcyonia Lacus | Lerna, also known as the Alcyonian Lake, was an entry to the netherworld in Greek mythology. | 2019-05-30 · WGPSN |
Lineae
A linea is an elongated marking. Plutonian lineae are named after space probes. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team.[4]
| Feature | Named after | Name approved (Date · Ref) |
|---|---|---|
| Chandrayaan Linea | the Chandrayaan program, India's first lunar probes | — |
| Luna Linea | the Luna program, the first spacecraft to visit the Moon | — |
| Yutu Linea | Yutu, the first Chinese lunar rover | — |
Maculae
A macula is a dark spot. Plutonian maculae are named after underworld creatures from fiction and mythology. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team.[4] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
| Feature | Named after | Name approved (Date · Ref) |
|---|---|---|
| Ala Macula | Ala, an Igbo god of the underworld | — |
| Balrog Macula | balrog, an underground demon in the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien | — |
| Cadejo Macula | cadejo, from Central American folklore | — |
| Cthulhu Macula[7] | Cthulhu, an ancient deity in the writings of H.P. Lovecraft | — |
| Hun-Came Macula | One of the two leading Maya death gods from the Popol Vuh | — |
| Krun Macula | Krun, the Mandaean overlord of the underworld | — |
| Meng-p'o Macula | Meng Po, the Chinese goddess of forgetfulness after death | — |
| Morgoth Macula | Morgoth, a figure of evil in the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien | — |
| Vucub-Came Macula | One of the two leading Maya death gods from the Popol Vuh | — |
Montes
A mons is a mountain. Plutonian montes (mountain ranges) are named after explorers and adventurers. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team.[4] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
| Feature | Named after | Name approved (Date · Ref) |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Idrisi Montes | Muhammad al-Idrisi, medieval Almoravid explorer | 2017-08-08 · WGPSN |
| Baret Montesa | Jeanne Baret, first woman to have completed circumnavigation voyage of the globe | 2018-04-26 · WGPSN |
| Elcano Montes | Juan Sebastián Elcano, completed Magellan's circumnavigation after his death | 2019-05-30 · WGPSN |
| Hillary Montes | Edmund Hillary, first to scale Mount Everest (with Tenzing Norgay) | 2017-08-08 · WGPSN |
| Piccard Mons | Auguste Piccard, conducted measurements of the upper atmosphere using balloons to reach an altitude of 23 kilometers | 2019-05-30 · WGPSN |
| Pigafetta Montes | Antonio Pigafetta, participated in Magellan's circumnavigation and wrote its only first-hand record | 2019-05-30 · WGPSN |
| Tabei Montes | Junko Tabei, first woman to climb both Mount Everest and the Seven Summits | 2019-11-19 · WGPSN |
| Tenzing Montesb | Tenzing Norgay, first to scale Mount Everest (with Edmund Hillary) | 2017-08-08 · WGPSN |
| Wright Mons | Wilbur and Orville Wright, built and flew the first successful airplane | 2019-05-30 · WGPSN |
| Zheng He Montes | Zheng He, medieval Chinese explorer | 2021-02-03 · WGPSN |
Paludes
A palus (literally swamp) is a small plain. Paludes on Pluto are named after historic explorers. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team.[4][6] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
| Feature | Named after | Name approved (Date · Ref) |
|---|---|---|
| David-Néel Palus | Alexandra David-Néel, Belgian–French explorer, best known for her 1924 visit to Lhasa, Tibet | — |
| Hyecho Palus | Hyecho, Korean traveler and scholar, crossed Asia from China to Arabia and back in 724-727 | 2020-01-02 · WGPSN |
| Tinné Paludes | Alexandrine Tinné, Dutch explorer in Africa, the first European woman to attempt to cross the Sahara | — |
Plana
A planum is a plateau or high plain. One (Sputnik Planum) was initially identified on Pluto; but it has since been recognized to be a planitia.
Planitiae
A planitia is a low plain, distinct from plana as they are located on lower terrain. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team.[4] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
| Feature | Named after | Name approved (Date · Ref) |
|---|---|---|
| Lunokhod Planitia | The Lunokhod program, two Soviet lunar rovers | 2021-02-03 · WGPSN |
| Ranger Planitia | The Ranger program, a series of unmanned probes sent to the moon in the 1960s | 2021-02-03 · WGPSN |
| Sputnik Planitia | Sputnik 1, the first satellite to orbit the Earth | 2017-08-08 · WGPSN |
Regiones
A regio is a region geographically distinct from its surroundings. Plutonian regiones are named after underworld spirits in fiction and mythology, or after scientists associated with the study of Pluto. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team.[4] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such. One such feature, the former Cthulhu Regio, is now considered to be a macula.[8][7]
| Feature | Named after | Name approved (Date · Ref) |
|---|---|---|
| Lowell Regio | Percival Lowell, whose ideas about Planet X inadvertently led to Pluto's discovery | 2019-05-30 · WGPSN |
| Tombaugh Regio | Clyde Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto | 2017-08-08 · WGPSN |
Rupēs
A rupes is an escarpment. Plutonian rupēs are named after explorers. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team.[4] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
| Feature | Named after | Name approved (Date · Ref) |
|---|---|---|
| Cousteau Rupes | Jacques Cousteau, undersea explorer | — |
| Eriksson Rupes | Leif Erikson, first Norse explorer of America | — |
| Piri Rupes | Piri Reis, creator of the one of the first map of the New World | 2019-05-30 · WGPSN |
Terrae
A terra is an extensive landmass. Plutonian terrae are named after space probes. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team.[4] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
| Feature | Named after | Name approved (Date · Ref) |
|---|---|---|
| Hayabusa Terra | Hayabusa, the first spacecraft to return a sample of an asteroid | 2017-08-08 · WGPSN |
| Pioneer Terra | the Pioneer program, the first spacecraft to explore the outer Solar System | 2021-02-03 · WGPSN |
| Vega Terra | the Vega program, which dropped probes onto Venus' surface along with the first close flybys to Comet Halley | 2019-05-30 · WGPSN |
| Venera Terra | the Venera program, first landers on Venus | 2019-05-30 · WGPSN |
| Viking Terra | the NASA Viking program, two Mars orbiters and landers | 2021-02-03 · WGPSN |
| Voyager Terra | the Voyager program, the first probes to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and interstellar space | 2017-08-08 · WGPSN |
Valles
A vallis is a valley. Plutonian valles are named after historic explorers. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team.[4][6] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
| Feature | Named after | Name approved (Date · Ref) |
|---|---|---|
| Heyerdahl Vallis | Thor Heyerdahl, Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer | — |
| Hunahpu Valles | Hunahpu, one of the mythological Maya Hero Twins | 2019-05-30 · WGPSN |
| Kupe Vallis | Kupe, legendary discoverer of New Zealand | — |
References
- International Astronomical Union Approves Second Set of Pluto Feature Names, NASA, 8 August 2019
- "Pluto Features Given First Official Names". NASA. 2017-09-07.
- "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature". International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN). Retrieved 12 August 2018.
- "Informal Names for Features on Pluto". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- "Naming of Astronomical Objects". IAU – International Astronomical Unition. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- Oliver L. White, Jeffrey M. Moore, William B. McKinnon, John R. Spencer, Alan D. Howard, Paul M. Schenk, Ross A. Beyer, Francis Nimmo, Kelsi N. Singer, Orkan M. Umurhan, S. Alan Stern, Kimberly Ennico, Cathy B. Olkin, Harold A. Weaver, Leslie A. Young, Andrew F. Cheng, Tanguy Bertrand, Richard P. Binzel, Alissa M. Earle, Will M. Grundy, Tod R. Lauer, Silvia Protopapa, Stuart J. Robbins, Bernard Schmitt, the New Horizons Science Team (2017). "Geological mapping of Sputnik Planitia on Pluto" (PDF). Icarus. 287: 261–286. Bibcode:2017Icar..287..261W. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2017.01.011. Retrieved 6 January 2017.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
- Stern, S. A.; Grundy, W.; McKinnon, W. B.; Weaver, H. A.; Young, L. A. (2018). "The Pluto System After New Horizons". Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics. 56: 357–392. arXiv:1712.05669. Bibcode:2018ARA&A..56..357S. doi:10.1146/annurev-astro-081817-051935.
- Amanda M. Zangari; et al. (November 2015). "New Horizons disk-integrated approach photometry of Pluto and Charon". AAA/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts #47: 210.01. Bibcode:2015DPS....4721001Z.
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