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The case against names
:CARUS 29, 513 (1976)
NOTE The Case against Names C H A R L E S T. K O W A L Hale Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, and Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, D.C. R e c e i v e d April 1, 1976 A c o m m i t t e e o f t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l Astron o m i c a l U n i o n has r e c e n t l y p r o p o s e d rules for n a m i n g f e a t u r e s in t h e o u t e r Solar S y s t e m . :Included in t h i s p r o p o s a l are some r a t h e r obscure n a m e s s u g g e s t e d for t h e f a i n t e r satellites o f J u p i t e r (I.A.U. Circular No. 2846). I t is r a t h e r i n t e r e s t i n g t o n o t e t h a t , since t h e t i m e o f B a r n a r d , t h e people w h o a c t u a l l y disc o v e r e d J o v i a n satellites h a v e n o t w a n t e d t h o s e satellites t o c a r r y n a m e s . I s h a r e t h e belief t h a t t h e satellites s h o u l d n o t be n a m e d , for I feel t h a t n a m e s w o u l d be useless, superfluous, a n d p o t e n tially confusing. Certainly, m y t h o l o g i c a l n a m e s h a v e no practical value. A d e s i g n a t i o n such as " J X I I I " u n a m b i g u o u s l y identifies t h e o b j e c t as a satellite of J u p i t e r , while t h e n a m e " L e d a " does not. N o r is a n a m e such as " L y s i t h e a " a n y easier to r e m e m b e r t h a n t h e simple d e s i g n a t i o n " J X . " W o u l d a n y o n e c o n s i d e r giving a n a m e to e v e r y d a y of t h e year? To a v o i d confusion w i t h a s t e r o i d n a m e s , it w o u l d be n e c e s s a r y t o use b o t h n a m e s and n u m b e r s , e.g., " J X I I ( A n a n k e ) . " W h y b o t h e r w i t h t h e superfluous n a m e ?
Copyright © 1976 by Academic Press, Inc. All rights o f reproduction in any form reserved. Printed in Great Britain
I t has b e e n a r g u e d t h a t we m u s t give t h e satellites n a m e s b e c a u s e we m a y some d a y be n a m i n g surface f e a t u r e s on t h o s e satellites. H o w e v e r , if we h a v e a n irresistible c o m p u l s i o n to b u r d e n e v e r y c r a t e r l e t a n d hillock w i t h a n a m e , we could q u i t e s a t i s f a c t o r i l y refer to " t h e c r a t e r J a b b e r w o c k y , on J V I I I , " i n s t e a d o f " t h e c r a t e r J a b b e r w o c k y , on J V I I I ( P a s i p h a e ) . " L e t us n o t w a s t e tinle on trivia. A m o r e i m p o r t a n t p r o b l e m , w h i c h has received little a t t e n t i o n , is t h e p r o b l e m of assigning d e s i g n a t i o n s to n e w l y d i s c o v e r e d satellites before s a t i s f a c t o r y o r b i t s h a v e b e e n d e t e r m i n e d for t h e m . F o r e x a m p l e , Dr. B r i a n G. M a r s d e n has r i g h t f u l l y r e f r a i n e d f r o m calling t h e p r o b a b l e f o u r t e e n t h satellite o f J u p i t e r " J X I V . " This s h o u l d w a i t u n t i l its o r b i t has b e e n det e r m i n e d . P e r h a p s it s h o u l d receive a t e m p o r a r y d e s i g n a t i o n in t h e m e a n t i m e . I feel t h a t t h e s a m e s h o u l d be d o n e for t h e p r o b a b l e t e n t h satellite of S a t u r n , w h i c h has a l r e a d y b e e n n a m e d " J a n u s . " I n 1904, W . H. P i c k e r i n g discovered another " t e n t h satellite" of Saturn, w h i c h p r o v e d to be n o n e x i s t e n t , b u t w h i c h was n a m e d " T h e m i s " nevertheless!
513
NOTE The Case against Names C H A R L E S T. K O W A L Hale Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, and Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, D.C. R e c e i v e d April 1, 1976 A c o m m i t t e e o f t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l Astron o m i c a l U n i o n has r e c e n t l y p r o p o s e d rules for n a m i n g f e a t u r e s in t h e o u t e r Solar S y s t e m . :Included in t h i s p r o p o s a l are some r a t h e r obscure n a m e s s u g g e s t e d for t h e f a i n t e r satellites o f J u p i t e r (I.A.U. Circular No. 2846). I t is r a t h e r i n t e r e s t i n g t o n o t e t h a t , since t h e t i m e o f B a r n a r d , t h e people w h o a c t u a l l y disc o v e r e d J o v i a n satellites h a v e n o t w a n t e d t h o s e satellites t o c a r r y n a m e s . I s h a r e t h e belief t h a t t h e satellites s h o u l d n o t be n a m e d , for I feel t h a t n a m e s w o u l d be useless, superfluous, a n d p o t e n tially confusing. Certainly, m y t h o l o g i c a l n a m e s h a v e no practical value. A d e s i g n a t i o n such as " J X I I I " u n a m b i g u o u s l y identifies t h e o b j e c t as a satellite of J u p i t e r , while t h e n a m e " L e d a " does not. N o r is a n a m e such as " L y s i t h e a " a n y easier to r e m e m b e r t h a n t h e simple d e s i g n a t i o n " J X . " W o u l d a n y o n e c o n s i d e r giving a n a m e to e v e r y d a y of t h e year? To a v o i d confusion w i t h a s t e r o i d n a m e s , it w o u l d be n e c e s s a r y t o use b o t h n a m e s and n u m b e r s , e.g., " J X I I ( A n a n k e ) . " W h y b o t h e r w i t h t h e superfluous n a m e ?
Copyright © 1976 by Academic Press, Inc. All rights o f reproduction in any form reserved. Printed in Great Britain
I t has b e e n a r g u e d t h a t we m u s t give t h e satellites n a m e s b e c a u s e we m a y some d a y be n a m i n g surface f e a t u r e s on t h o s e satellites. H o w e v e r , if we h a v e a n irresistible c o m p u l s i o n to b u r d e n e v e r y c r a t e r l e t a n d hillock w i t h a n a m e , we could q u i t e s a t i s f a c t o r i l y refer to " t h e c r a t e r J a b b e r w o c k y , on J V I I I , " i n s t e a d o f " t h e c r a t e r J a b b e r w o c k y , on J V I I I ( P a s i p h a e ) . " L e t us n o t w a s t e tinle on trivia. A m o r e i m p o r t a n t p r o b l e m , w h i c h has received little a t t e n t i o n , is t h e p r o b l e m of assigning d e s i g n a t i o n s to n e w l y d i s c o v e r e d satellites before s a t i s f a c t o r y o r b i t s h a v e b e e n d e t e r m i n e d for t h e m . F o r e x a m p l e , Dr. B r i a n G. M a r s d e n has r i g h t f u l l y r e f r a i n e d f r o m calling t h e p r o b a b l e f o u r t e e n t h satellite o f J u p i t e r " J X I V . " This s h o u l d w a i t u n t i l its o r b i t has b e e n det e r m i n e d . P e r h a p s it s h o u l d receive a t e m p o r a r y d e s i g n a t i o n in t h e m e a n t i m e . I feel t h a t t h e s a m e s h o u l d be d o n e for t h e p r o b a b l e t e n t h satellite of S a t u r n , w h i c h has a l r e a d y b e e n n a m e d " J a n u s . " I n 1904, W . H. P i c k e r i n g discovered another " t e n t h satellite" of Saturn, w h i c h p r o v e d to be n o n e x i s t e n t , b u t w h i c h was n a m e d " T h e m i s " nevertheless!
513