There are several real or apparent name conflicts between differentSolar System bodies, despite efforts to give every named body a distinct name. Most of these conflicts are betweenasteroids andnatural satellites of planets, which are named according to different but partially overlapping schemes. Most satellites are named after people and divinities inGreek andRoman mythology; this is rarely true of asteroids currently, with the exception ofcentaurs andJupiter trojans, but formerly many asteroids had mythological names, which consequently came into conflict with the names of natural satellites. Some Solar System bodies also share names withstars,exoplanets orconstellations.
Bodies with identical names and referents
[edit]Some of these bodies have exactly the same name, referring to the same mythological character. The earliest such conflicts possibly arose through not considering certain mythological names as "official"; for instance, the namesIo,Europa,Ganymede andCallisto for theGalilean satellites of Jupiter were not used in astronomical literature of a certain era, their place being taken byJupiter I, Jupiter II, Jupiter III, Jupiter IV (cf.Naming of moons).
In the earliest of these conflicts, the natural satellite was named first, and the conflict arose with the naming of an asteroid. These conflicts span the period 1858–1906.
- Europa, a moon ofJupiter, named 1614 and52 Europa, discovered 1858
- Io, a moon of Jupiter, named 1614 and85 Io, discovered 1865
- Dione, a moon ofSaturn, named 1847 and106 Dione, discovered 1868
- Rhea, a moon of Saturn, named 1847 and577 Rhea, discovered 1905
- Titania, a moon ofUranus, named 1852 and593 Titania, discovered 1906
Asteroid named first
[edit]Later conflicts arose in relatively recent times from giving newly discovered satellites the same names as those of asteroids. By this time, it was possibly felt that the true name of an asteroid such as "38 Leda" included its minor planet number, and so re-using the name for a satellite did not really create a conflict. These conflicts span the period 1975–2001, though some conflicts of this type had arisen earlier with some names used unofficially.
- 9 Metis, discovered 1848 andMetis, a moon of Jupiter, named 1983.
- 38 Leda, discovered 1856 andLeda, a moon of Jupiter, named 1975.
- 55 Pandora, discovered 1858 andPandora, a moon of Saturn, named 1985.
- 74 Galatea, discovered 1862 andGalatea, a moon ofNeptune, discovered 1989.
- 113 Amalthea, discovered 1871 andAmalthea, a moon of Jupiter, discovered 1892; the name was suggested byCamille Flammarion shortly after its discovery, but it was not officially named until 1975.
- 171 Ophelia, discovered 1877 andOphelia, a moon of Uranus, discovered 1986.
- 239 Adrastea, discovered 1884 andAdrastea, a moon of Jupiter, named in 1983. Adrastea was also an unofficial name for Jupiter's moonAnanke (1955–1975).
- 666 Desdemona, discovered 1908 andDesdemona, a moon of Uranus, discovered 1986.
- 1810 Epimetheus, discovered 1960 andEpimetheus a moon of Saturn, named 1983.
- 1809 Prometheus, discovered 1960 andPrometheus, a moon of Saturn, named 1985.
- 2758 Cordelia, discovered 1978 andCordelia, a moon of Uranus, discovered 1986.
- 4450 Pan, discovered 1987 andPan, a moon of Saturn, discovered 1990. Pan was also an unofficial name for Jupiter's moonCarme (1955–1975).
- 10386 Romulus, discovered 1996 andRomulus, a moon ofSylvia, discovered 2001.
Conflicts with extrasolar bodies
[edit]- Asterope (21 Tauri) and233 Asterope, discovered 1883.
- Merope (23 Tauri) and1051 Merope, discovered 1925.
- Mimosa (β Crucis) and1079 Mimosa, discovered 1927.
- Atlas (27 Tauri) andAtlas, a moon of Saturn, named 1983.
- Anser (α Vulpeculae) and8435 Anser, named 1999.[1]
- 238 Hypatia, discovered 1884 and Hypatia (ι Draconis b), an exoplanet, named 2015.[2]
- 571 Dulcinea, discovered 1905 and Dulcinea (μ Arae c), an exoplanet, named 2015.[2]
- 31338 Lipperhey, named 2008[1] and Lipperhey (55 Cancri d), an exoplanet, named 2015.[2]
- 79144 Cervantes, named 2005[1] and Cervantes (μ Arae), a star, named 2015.
- Hiisi, binary companion of47171 Lempo, named 2017 and Hiisi (HAT-P-38b), an exoplanet, named 2019.[2]
Conflicts with disproven bodies
[edit]- 24 Themis, discovered 1853 andThemis, named 1905. The latter Themis was a supposed moon of Saturn that turned out not to exist.
By convention comets are named after their discoverers, so multiple comets often have the same name; they are differentiated by numerical designations. Comets can also share names with asteroids, for exampleHalley's Comet and2688 Halley, both named afterEdmond Halley.
Bodies with identical names and different referents
[edit]Some bodies have names of identical form, but were actually named for different persons or things.
- 218 Bianca, discovered 1880, was named after opera singer Bianca Bianchi andBianca, a moon of Uranus, discovered 1986, was named after a Shakespeare character.
- 1162 Larissa, discovered 1930, was named for the Thessalian townLarissa andLarissa, a moon of Neptune, discovered 1981, was named after the nymphLarissa.
Conflicts with extrasolar bodies
[edit]- Mira (ο Ceti) is a Latin name meaning "amazing" or "wonderful".3633 Mira was named in 1994 after Hugo Mira, researcher atFélix Aguilar Observatory.[1]
- Imai (δ Crucis) is a traditionalMursi name, referring to the grass that grows along the banks of theOmo River.[3]8271 Imai was named in 2012 after Yasushi Imai, president of a planetarium manufacturing company.[1]
- Peacock (α Pavonis) was named in the 1930s after thepeacock, which its constellationPavo represents.18727 Peacock was named in 2007 after Anthony Peacock, project scientist for theExosat andXMM-Newton missions.[1]
- Neri (HD 32518 b), an exoplanet, was named in 2019 after theNeri River in Ethiopia.[2]126965 Neri was named in 2021 afterRodolfo Neri Vela, the first Mexican to travel to space.[1]
- Maia (20 Tauri) is named afterMaia, one of theseven daughters ofAtlas andPleione inGreek mythology.127936 Maia was named in 2023 after Maia Palomba, the second daughter ofErnesto Palomba.
- 1863 Antinous, discovered 1948, is named afterAntinous of Ithaca, a character in theOdyssey. The star Antinous (θ Aquilae) was named in 2024 after the obsolete constellationAntinous, which in turn was named afterAntinous, lover of the Roman emperorHadrian.[3]
Conflicts with constellations
[edit]Bodies with similar names and the same referent
[edit]Some objects have names that refer to the same mythological character, but slight variations in spelling prevent there from being a technical conflict.
- Callisto, a moon of Jupiter, named 1614 and204 Kallisto, discovered 1879, both variant transliterations of the name of thenymphCallisto.
- Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter, named 1614 and1036 Ganymed, discovered 1924, both named forZeus' cupbearer. The name in Latin isGanymedes, of whichGanymede is an English form andGanymed a German one. The names are therefore in full conflict in German.
Asteroid named first
[edit]- 14 Irene, discovered 1851 andEirene, a moon of Jupiter, named 2019, both named for theGreek personification of peace.
- 53 Kalypso, discovered 1858 andCalypso, a moon of Saturn, named 1983, both named for the AtlantidnymphCalypso.
- 548 Kressida, discovered 1904 andCressida, a moon of Uranus, discovered 1986, both named afterCressida, a heroine in English-language versions of the Troy legend (in the case of the moon of Uranus, by way of Shakespeare).
- 101 Helena, discovered 1868 andHelene, a moon of Saturn, named 1988, both named afterHelen of Troy.
- 657 Gunlöd, discovered 1908 andGunnlod, a moon of Saturn, named 2022, both named after Norse giantessGunnlöð
- 899 Jokaste, discovered 1918 andIocaste, a moon of Jupiter, named 2002, both named for QueenJocasta of Thebes.
- 763 Cupido, discovered 1913 andCupid, a moon of Uranus, discovered 2003, after the Roman godCupid.Cupido is the Latin form,Cupid a modification of the same used in English. The name of the moon Cupid specifically refers to Cupid appearing as a character in the playTimon of Athens.
- 3908 Nyx, discovered 1980 andNix, a moon ofPluto, named 2006, both named forNyx, goddess of night.
- 1865 Cerberus, discovered 1971 andKerberos, a moon ofPluto, named 2013, both named forCerberus, canine guardian of the underworld.
- Herse, a moon of Jupiter discovered 2003, andErsa, a moon of Jupiter discovered 2018, both named after the goddessErsa (the Greek goddess of dew).
- 26 Proserpina, discovered 1853 and399 Persephone, discovered 1895, both named forPersephone, goddess of the underworld.
- 68 Leto, discovered 1861 and639 Latona, discovered 1907. Named forLeto, mother of Apollo and Artemis.
- 161 Athor, discovered 1876 and2340 Hathor, discovered 1976, both named for the Egyptian goddessHathor.
- 646 Kastalia, discovered 1907 and4769 Castalia, discovered 1989, both named for the Greek nymphCastalia.
- 1068 Nofretete, discovered 1926 and3199 Nefertiti, discovered 1982, both named for the Egyptian queenNefertiti.
- 1143 Odysseus, discovered 1930, and5254 Ulysses, discovered 1986, named for the Greek warriorOdysseus.
- 2155 Wodan, discovered 1960 and3989 Odin, discovered 1986, variant names of the Germanic godOdin.
Conflicts with extrasolar bodies
[edit]- 66 Maja, discovered 1861, andMaia (20 Tauri), a star.
- 697 Galilea, discovered 1910, and Galileo (55 Cancri Ab), an exoplanet, named 2015.
- 1322 Coppernicus, discovered 1934, and Copernicus (55 Cancri A), a star, named 2015.
- 1677 Tycho Brahe, discovered 1940, and Brahe (55 Cancri Ac), an exoplanet, named 2015.
- 3552 Don Quixote, discovered 1983, and Quijote (Mu Arae b), an exoplanet, named 2015.
- 10385 Amaterasu, discovered 1996, and Amateru (Epsilon Tauri b), an exoplanet, named 2015.
- 11284 Belenus, discovered 1990, and Bélénos (HD 8574), a star, named 2019.
- 189011 Ogmios, discovered 1997, and Ogma (HD 149026), a star, named 2015.
- Aegir, a moon of Saturn, named 2007 and Ægir (Epsilon Eridani b), an exoplanet, named 2015.[4]
Bodies with similar names and different referents
[edit]- 66 Maja, discovered 1861, named afterMaia, fromGreek mythology; and127936 Maia, named after Maia Palomba, second daughter ofErnesto Palomba.
- 100 Hekate, discovered 1868, named afterHecate, theGreek goddess ofwitchcraft; and2245 Hekatostos, discovered 1968, named for the Greek word for "100", in honour of a joint program.
- 558 Carmen, discovered 1905, named after the title character ofBizet'sCarmen; andCarme, a moon of Jupiter, discovered 1938, named after the mythologicalCarme, mother byZeus of the goddessBritomartis.
- 832 Karin, discovered 1916, named afterKarin Månsdotter, the Queen of KingErik XIV of Sweden; andKari, a moon of Saturn, discovered 2006, named afterKári, the personification of wind inNorse mythology.
- 1042 Amazone, discovered 1925, named after theAmazon Rainforest; and129555 Armazones, discovered 1996, named afterCerro Armazones in Chile.
- 1131 Porzia, discovered 1929, named forPorcia Catonis, wife ofMarcus Junius Brutus; andPortia, a moon of Uranus, discovered 1986, named for the characterPortia in William Shakespeare's playThe Merchant of Venice.
- 1862 Apollo, discovered 1932, named afterApollo, the god of music inGreek mythology;2228 Soyuz-Apollo, discovered 1977, named after theApollo–Soyuz combined mission, and12609 Apollodoros, discovered 1960, named afterApollodorus of Athens.
- 2313 Aruna, discovered 1976, named afterthe charioteer ofSurya inHinduism; and20000 Varuna, discovered 2000, named after theHindu deityVaruna, the god of water.
- 9313 Protea, discovered 1988, named after theProteaceae family of plants; andProteus, a moon of Neptune, discovered 1989, named afterProteus, a sea god fromGreek mythology.
- 9986 Hirokun, discovered 1996, named after Hiroshi Fukazawa, the daughter ofTakeshi Urata, one of the discovers; andHyrrokkin, a moon of Saturn, discovered 2004, named afterHyrrokkin, a giantess fromNorse mythology.
- 582 Olympia, discovered 1906, named after the town ofArchaia Olympia in Greece; andOlympias, discovered 2009, the moon of317 Roxane, named afterOlympias, the mother ofAlexander the Great.
- 98 Ianthe, discovered 1868,411 Xanthe, discovered 1896, andAnthe, a moon of Saturn discovered 2007.
Bodies with different names and the same referent
[edit]Several bodies have completely distinct names, but may be confused because their names refer to the same thing or the same mythological character. This is usually true when one name is Latin and another Greek, and causes special confusion inGreek, where the Greek forms of all mythological names are used in preference to the Latin names.
Conflicts with non-minor or Solar System bodies
[edit]Some of the conflicts are with planets and satellites, or other astronomical objects with long-established names.
- TheSun andHelium, discovered 1868, and895 Helio, discovered 1918.
- TheMoon andPhoebe, discovered 1898, and580 Selene, discovered 1905.
- Earth and1184 Gaea, discovered 1926.
- Venus and1388 Aphrodite, discovered 1935, and7088 Ishtar, discovered 1992.
- Mercury and69230 Hermes, named 1937 (but not numbered until 2003).
- Neptune, discovered 1846 and4341 Poseidon, discovered 1987. Poseidon was also an unofficial name for Jupiter's moonPasiphae 1955–1975.
- Jupiter and5731 Zeus, discovered 1988, andTinia, a moon of55637 Uni, discovered 2005.
- Uranus,[5] discovered 1781, and30 Urania, discovered 1854. Uranus, however, is mostly named after theGreek god personifying the sky.
- There was a potential conflict betweenSaturn andCronus, a suggested name forPluto, discovered 1930. "Kronos" is also a nickname for the starHD 240430.
- 10 Hygiea, discovered 1849, andValetudo, a moon of Jupiter discovered 2018. Named forHygieia (Valetudo in Roman mythology), the goddess of personal healing.
- There was also a potential conflict betweenHades, an unofficial name forSinope, a moon of Jupiter between 1955 and 1975, and Pluto.
- Vulcan, a hypothetical planet once proposed to exist in an orbit between Mercury and the Sun, and2212 Hephaistos, discovered 1978.
- Theia, a planet supposed to have collided with the early Earth, producing the Moon as a result, and106 Dione, discovered 1868, and405 Thia, discovered 1895. The equivalence between Dione and Thia is less certain.
- Tyche, a hypothetical planet residing in theOort cloud whose existence was ruled out in 2014, and19 Fortuna, discovered 1852, and258 Tyche, discovered 1886.
- Siarnaq, a moon of Saturn discovered 2000, and90377 Sedna, discovered 2003.
Conflicts among asteroids
[edit]Other conflicts occurred between asteroids discovered earlier and those discovered later.
- 1 Ceres, discovered 1801 and1108 Demeter, discovered 1929. Demeter was also an unofficial name for Jupiter's moonLysithea 1955–1975. Named for the goddessDemeter. (In Greek, both objects are named Demeter, as 1 Ceres was discovered at a time when new "planets" were being named in Greek after theGreek equivalents of the Latin mythological names they were given upon discovery. As a result, 1 Ceres was given the Modern Greek name Δήμητρα (Dēmētra). Later, when 1108 was discovered and named, to avoid conflict it was given the Ancient Greek form, Δημήτηρ (Dēmētēr).)
- 2 Pallas, named 1802,93 Minerva, discovered 1867, and881 Athene, discovered 1917. It might be argued that "Pallas" here does not actually refer to the goddessAthene, but rather her mythological companionPallas; however, in the 19th century "Pallas" was commonly used as shorthand for "Pallas Athene", and in the company of Ceres, Juno, and Vesta, it seems more likely that Athene was intended.
- 3 Juno, discovered 1804,103 Hera, discovered 1868 and55637 Uni, discovered 2002. Hera was also an unofficial name for Jupiter's moonElara 1955–1975. Named for the goddessHera.
- 4 Vesta, discovered 1807 and46 Hestia, discovered 1857. Hestia was also an unofficial name for Jupiter's moonHimalia 1955–1975. Named for the goddessHestia.
- 5 Astraea, discovered 1845,24 Themis, discovered 1853,99 Dike, discovered 1868, and269 Justitia, discovered 1887. Named for goddesses ofJustice.
- 8 Flora, discovered 1847 and410 Chloris, discovered 1896. Named for the goddess of flowers. Cf.Flora andChloris.
- 12 Victoria, discovered 1850 and307 Nike, discovered 1891. Named for the goddess of victory. Cf.Nike andVictoria.
- 78 Diana, discovered 1863 and105 Artemis, discovered 1868 and395 Delia and15992 Cynthia. These names all refer to the goddessArtemis, the last two being epithets derived from placenames associated with the goddess.
- 94 Aurora, discovered 1867 and221 Eos discovered 1882. Named for the goddess of the dawn.
- 104 Klymene, discovered 1868 and356217 Clymene, discovered 2009. 104 Klymene was named after one of the manyClymenes in Greek mythology, while 356217 Clymene was named specifically after the Cretan princess; the daughter of KingCatreus.
- 424 Gratia discovered 1896 and627 Charis discovered 1907. Named for any one of theGraces.
- 14 Irene, discovered 1851 and679 Pax, discovered 1909. Named for the goddess of peace.
- 378 Holmia, discovered 1893 and10552 Stockholm, discovered 1993, named forStockholm.
- 433 Eros, discovered 1898 and763 Cupido, discovered 1913 and1221 Amor discovered 1932, the first being the Greek, and the second and third Latin renditions of the name ofEros, the god of love.
- 2063 Bacchus, discovered 1977 and3671 Dionysus, discovered 1984, named for the god of wine.
- 1125 China, discovered 1957 and3789 Zhongguo, discovered 1928, named forChina.
- 1133 Lugduna, discovered 1929 and12490 Leiden, discovered 1977, named forLeiden.
- 1188 Gothlandia, discovered 1930 and13868 Catalonia, discovered 1999, named forCatalonia.
- 2199 Kleť, discovered 1978,20964 Mons Naklethi, discovered 1977 and68779 Schöninger, discovered 2002, named forKleť Mountain.
- 2403 Šumava, discovered 1979 and8554 Gabreta, discovered 1995, named for theBohemian Forest.
- 2524 Budovicium, discovered 1981 and11134 České Budějovice, discovered 1996, named forČeské Budějovice.
- 2747 Český Krumlov, discovered 1980 and69469 Krumbenowe, discovered 1996, named forČeský Krumlov.
- 4352 Kyoto, discovered 1989 and7023 Heiankyo, discovered 1992, named forKyoto.
- 9431 Pytho, discovered 1996 and73769 Delphi, discovered 1994, named forDelphi.
- 11780 Thunder Bay, discovered 1942 and20031 Lakehead, discovered 1992, named forThunder Bay.
- 14486 Tuscia, discovered 1994 and207563 Toscana, discovered 2006, named forTuscany.
Conflicts with extrasolar bodies
[edit]- 13131 Palmyra, discovered 1994, andTadmor, also known asGamma Cephei Ab, confirmed in 2003, named afterPalmyra.
- 14566 Hōkūleʻa, named 2003 after the Hawaiian name for the starArcturus.[6]
- Sagarmatha, also known asHD 100777, and33002 Everest, discovered 1997, named afterMount Everest.