In theInternational Astronomical Union's system of unique feature names for topographic andalbedo features on planets and moons in theSolar System, many are named inthe language of the indigenousMāori people of New Zealand.[1] These names are primarily fromMāori mythology.
Features on the planetVenus are named for women and goddesses.Colles are small hills or knobs, named after sea goddesses.Coronae are oval features of uncertain origin, named for fertility and earth goddesses.Planitiae, low plains, are mythological heroines.Tholi, small dome-like hills, are named for (miscellaneous) goddesses.Valles, valleys, are named according to their length: if more than 400 km, after the word for the planet in various world languages, otherwise after river goddesses.[2][3]
Craters on Venus that have diameters less than 20 km are named with common female first names:[2]
The innermost moon ofJupiter,Io is a world emblazoned with the reds, yellows, whites and blacks ofsulphur chemistry and the scars ofactive volcanism. Its features have a wide variety of naming themes: gods, goddesses and heroes associated with fire, sun, thunder, and volcanoes; mythical blacksmiths; people associated with themyth of Io; or people fromDante's Inferno. Names may also be derived from a nearby, more prominent feature; this is a situation where the same name could be used for both a volcano and an adjacent valley.[2]
Montes, mountains, can be named in the Dantean or Greek categories, or for associated features.Paterae, volcanic pits with flat floors and steep walls, are named from these first two groups, and include names from their associated eruptive center.Valles, valleys, are named for their associated feature.[2][3]
The largest moon ofSaturn is a world in its own right:Titan has a dense atmosphere and complex weather system, with liquid-carved river networks and sizable seas.
Maria, seas, are large expanses of dark materials thought to be liquid hydrocarbons; they are named for sea creatures from myth and literature.Virgae, streaks or stripes of colour, are named for rain gods and goddesses.[2][3]
Neptune's largest moon is thought to be a capturedKuiper belt object, an interloper from further out in the Solar System.Triton's features are given aquatic names, excluding Roman and Greek references.[2]
