Comments on: On the naming of Eris, and such http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/14/on-the-naming-of-eris-and-such/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 21:25:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Beyonce http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/14/on-the-naming-of-eris-and-such/#comment-20683 Beyonce Thu, 18 Jan 2007 16:40:07 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/14/on-the-naming-of-eris-and-such/#comment-20683 Eris also features in Robert Anton Wilson's amazing "The Illuminatus! Trilogy". B x Eris also features in Robert Anton Wilson’s amazing “The Illuminatus! Trilogy”.

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]]> By: Mungascr http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/14/on-the-naming-of-eris-and-such/#comment-20663 Mungascr Fri, 22 Sep 2006 15:04:46 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/14/on-the-naming-of-eris-and-such/#comment-20663 Skeptic girl : As you should be able to see Your test worked for me. Its only one cryptic line of text Makes me wonder just what's next So post away I plea! If I recollect my Greek mythology right then Eris was the goddess of Strife. It was she that offered the prize of a golden apple inscribed "to the most beautiful" in a contest with the godesses Hera, Aphrodite and Athena and got Prince Paris of Troy to judge betwixt 'em. Hera offered Paris money.. Athena offered Paris success in war. Aphrodite offered him the hand of the most beautiful woman in the world - Helen of Sparta who was already married to King Menelaus. Paris chose Aphrodite - who guaranteed he could seduce Helen. He did so - Menelaus understandably enough got cheesed off and, with his brother King Agamemnnon, organised the Archean (ie. Greek) fleet to attack Troy and get Helen back "launching a thousand ships" and causing the Trojan war. Apt name given "Xena's" role in sparking astronomical debate over Pluto ... But I bet the name "Xena" will take a long time to disappear from popular culture references to it. If indeed it ever does ... Reckon its gained enough "cultural mass" to hang on over the more academic, less memorable one. Eris = the Greek equivalent of Loki ... anyone know has thatname been taken by any minor planet yet? Skeptic girl :

As you should be able to see
Your test worked for me.
Its only one cryptic line of text
Makes me wonder just what’s next
So post away I plea!

If I recollect my Greek mythology right then Eris was the goddess of Strife. It was she that offered the prize of a golden apple inscribed “to the most beautiful” in a contest with the godesses Hera, Aphrodite and Athena and got Prince Paris of Troy to judge betwixt ‘em.

Hera offered Paris money..
Athena offered Paris success in war.
Aphrodite offered him the hand of the most beautiful woman in the world - Helen of Sparta who was already married to King Menelaus.

Paris chose Aphrodite - who guaranteed he could seduce Helen. He did so - Menelaus understandably enough got cheesed off and, with his brother King Agamemnnon, organised the Archean (ie. Greek) fleet to attack Troy and get Helen back “launching a thousand ships” and causing the Trojan war.

Apt name given “Xena’s” role in sparking astronomical debate over Pluto …

But I bet the name “Xena” will take a long time to disappear from popular culture references to it. If indeed it ever does … Reckon its gained enough “cultural mass” to hang on over the more academic, less memorable one.

Eris = the Greek equivalent of Loki … anyone know has thatname been taken by any minor planet yet?

]]> By: skeptigirl http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/14/on-the-naming-of-eris-and-such/#comment-20659 skeptigirl Thu, 21 Sep 2006 08:52:12 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/14/on-the-naming-of-eris-and-such/#comment-20659 test post test post

]]> By: Pierce R. Butler http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/14/on-the-naming-of-eris-and-such/#comment-20658 Pierce R. Butler Thu, 21 Sep 2006 01:08:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/14/on-the-naming-of-eris-and-such/#comment-20658 Having followed the above link to CalTech's 2003 EL61 page, I'm still confused. The image shown is described as an (American-type) football shape, though to me it more resembles an elongated gelatin capsule. It spins around one of its short axes (which does bring to mind a kicked football). Brown et al hypothesize an oblique collision with another large Kuiper Belt object early in EL61's history, sending its icy material into orbit and leaving the rocky material spinning rapidly: "The rapid spin elongated 2003 EL61 into the football shape we see today." All well & good, but why didn't it form a disk shape if it were being re-formed by centrifugal force? Did the tensile structural components give way only in one dimension? Having followed the above link to CalTech’s 2003 EL61 page, I’m still confused. The image shown is described as an (American-type) football shape, though to me it more resembles an elongated gelatin capsule. It spins around one of its short axes (which does bring to mind a kicked football).

Brown et al hypothesize an oblique collision with another large Kuiper Belt object early in EL61’s history, sending its icy material into orbit and leaving the rocky material spinning rapidly: “The rapid spin elongated 2003 EL61 into the football shape we see today.”

All well & good, but why didn’t it form a disk shape if it were being re-formed by centrifugal force? Did the tensile structural components give way only in one dimension?

]]> By: Thomas Love http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/14/on-the-naming-of-eris-and-such/#comment-20657 Thomas Love Tue, 19 Sep 2006 16:56:12 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/14/on-the-naming-of-eris-and-such/#comment-20657 Renaming the planet was a clear case of Xenophobia. Renaming the planet was a clear case of Xenophobia.

]]> By: Irishman http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/14/on-the-naming-of-eris-and-such/#comment-20660 Irishman Mon, 18 Sep 2006 20:54:51 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/14/on-the-naming-of-eris-and-such/#comment-20660 Andjam, I haven't found that precise quote. However, <blockquote>We used the names [Xena and Gabrielle] for almost two years now and are having a hard time swtiching. But for those who miss Xena, look for the obvious nod in the new name of the moon of Eris. </blockquote> http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/planetlila/index.html#eris and <blockquote>The satellite of Eris has received the offical name Dysnomia, who in Greek mythology is Eris' daughter and the demon spirit of lawlessness.</blockquote> He certainly has expressed that sentiment. Andjam, I haven’t found that precise quote. However,

We used the names [Xena and Gabrielle] for almost two years now and are having a hard time swtiching. But for those who miss Xena, look for the obvious nod in the new name of the moon of Eris.

http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/planetlila/index.html#eris

and

The satellite of Eris has received the offical name Dysnomia, who in Greek mythology is Eris’ daughter and the demon spirit of lawlessness.

He certainly has expressed that sentiment.

]]> By: Troy http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/14/on-the-naming-of-eris-and-such/#comment-20678 Troy Sun, 17 Sep 2006 06:10:55 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/09/14/on-the-naming-of-eris-and-such/#comment-20678 In regards to Pierre LaBossiere's comment the problem with setting Pluto as the lower size, "grandfathering" it in is that there will soon be a plethora of like and larger bodies found. I actually predicted that a hyperPluto would be discovered a few years ago and it would result in Pluto's demotion. My logic: Many similar (though smaller) Pluto sized objects were being discovered. Pluto was discovered near perihelion in a 250 year orbit, only approximately 25% of its orbit has elapsed: therefore it is completely possible that a hyperPluto was out there at aphelion and would eventually pull into view. Actually I didn't anticipate Mike Brown's discovery of an object much further out. Hopefully Pierre LaBossiere's and people who want a vulgar concensus to promote Pluto will instead learn and enjoy the dwarf planets. Pluto is a very interesting system, its moon may be the only similar scenerio to our own moon's formation. Besides Mars, Ceres is actually the best place to put set up a terrestrial colony, and this newly named Eris will likely suprise and delight when more is known. In regards to Pierre LaBossiere’s comment the problem with setting Pluto as the lower size, “grandfathering” it in is that there will soon be a plethora of like and larger bodies found. I actually predicted that a hyperPluto would be discovered a few years ago and it would result in Pluto’s demotion. My logic: Many similar (though smaller) Pluto sized objects were being discovered. Pluto was discovered near perihelion in a 250 year orbit, only approximately 25% of its orbit has elapsed: therefore it is completely possible that a hyperPluto was out there at aphelion and would eventually pull into view. Actually I didn’t anticipate Mike Brown’s discovery of an object much further out.
Hopefully Pierre LaBossiere’s and people who want a vulgar concensus to promote Pluto will instead learn and enjoy the dwarf planets. Pluto is a very interesting system, its moon may be the only similar scenerio to our own moon’s formation. Besides Mars, Ceres is actually the best place to put set up a terrestrial colony, and this newly named Eris will likely suprise and delight when more is known.

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