Planets, moons and other celestial bodies are named according to rules established by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Pluto did not have any rules for naming surface features because, until recently, none had been clearly seen. NASA’s New Horizons team changed that with a fly-by in 2015 which delivered the first close-up views of Pluto and its five moons.

New Horizons revealed a complex, relatively young surface covered with a vast nitrogen glacier as well as mountains, canyons and craters made of ice. This week, the IAU announced acceptance of naming themes for these features proposed by the mission team:

Pluto

Mythological beings associated with the underworld Example: Djanggawul Depression, named for underworld traveler of aboriginal mythology

Underworld locations Example: Tartarus Ridge, named for the underworld of Greek mythology

Scientists and engineers associated with Pluto and the Kuiper Belt Example: Tombaugh Regio, a region named for Clyde Tombaugh, Pluto’s discoverer

Pioneering space missions and spacecraft Example: Voyager Terra, a large land mass named for the interstellar mission

Historic pioneers who crossed new horizons in the exploration of the Earth, sea and sky Example: Norgay Montes, a mountain named for the sherpa who, along with Sir Edmund Hillary, was the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest



Charon (Pluto’s largest moon)

Dark Spots: Destinations and milestones of fictional space and other exploration Examples: Gallifrey (Dr. Who), Mordor (Lord of the Rings)

Chasms: Fictional and mythological vessels of space and other exploration Examples: Serenity Chasm (Firefly), Argo (Jason and the Argonauts)

Craters: Fictional and mythological voyagers, travelers and explorers Examples: Leah Organa (Star Wars), Nemo (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea)

Mountains: Authors and artists associated with space exploration, especially Pluto and the Kuiper Belt Examples: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clark



Pluto’s smaller moons

Styx: River gods

Nix: Deities of the night

Kerberos: Dogs from literature, mythology and history

Hydra: Legendary serpents and dragons

“Imagine the thrill of seeing your name suggestion on a future map of Pluto and its moons,” said Jim Green, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division in Washington.

The IAU also endorsed the NASA/New Horizons mission team-led “Our Pluto” campaign which completed a survey gathering public suggestions for naming.

“We look forward to the next step – submitting actual feature names for approval,” said Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator from Southwest Research Institute, in Boulder, Colo.