The geological features of Charon, the largest moon of Pluto, are being mapped by scientists using data from the New Horizons spacecraft. The team has given provisional names to the most prominent.
As of April 2020[update], only some of the names have been officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union, which has agreed that names for features on Charon should come from the following:[1][2]
- Destinations and milestones of fictional space and other exploration.
- Fictional and mythological vessels of space and other exploration.
- Fictional and mythological voyagers, travellers and explorers.
- Authors and artists associated with space exploration, especially Pluto and the Kuiper Belt.
Some features discovered by the New Horizons mission have been given provisional names based on various science fiction and fantasy franchises, including Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Alien, Firefly, and Macross.[3] These names remain unofficial until accepted by the IAU.
On 11 April 2018, the IAU announced that several of the feature names had been officially recognized.[4]
- ^ "Naming of Astronomical Objects". www.iau.org. IAU General Assembly 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
- ^ "Official Naming of Surface Features on Pluto and its Satellites". www.iau.org. IAU General Assembly 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
- ^ Brown, Andrew R.; Byrd, Deborah (August 2015). "First maps of Charon and Pluto". earthsky.org. EarthSky Communications Inc. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
- ^ "Pluto's Largest Moon, Charon, Gets Its First Official Feature Names". www.iau.org. IAU General Assembly 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.