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A:
The planets that are visible without a
telescope (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) were
named in ancient times. The others were named as they were
discovered.
Mercury was named
after Mercury, the mythical Roman winged messenger and
escort of dead souls to the underworld. It was named for the
speedy Mercury because it is the fastest-moving planet.
Venus was named after the Roman goddess of love.
Mars was named
after the Roman god of war. Jupiter was named after the
Roman primary god, Jupiter. Saturn was named for the Roman
god of agriculture.
Uranus was originally named in 1781
by the British astronomer William Herschel - he called it
Georgium Sidus (meaning "the Georgian planet") to honor the
King George III of England. The name was later changed to
Uranus, the ancient mythological god of the sky, Ouranos.
The name Uranus was suggested by the German astronomer
Johann Elert Bode. Neptune was named after the mythical
Roman god of the seas.
Pluto was named after
the Roman god of the underworld, Pluto. Its symbol is the
combined letters "P" and "L," either for Percival Lowell or
for Pluto.
The name Pluto
was suggested by Venetia Burney of England, who was 11 years
old at the time. She suggested the name to her grandfather,
who was Librarian at Oxford. He passed her idea to the
astronomers who were trying to name the newly-discovered
planet.
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