The Name Game
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Planetary ScienceAn asteroid’s moon got a name so NASA can bump it off its course
A tiny moon orbiting an asteroid finally got a name because NASA plans to crash a spacecraft into it.
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Health & MedicineStudies can be in vitro, in vivo and now ‘in fimo’ — in poop
Scientists have coined a new term — “in fimo” — to describe studies focused on feces.
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AstronomyCelebrity names now mark places on Pluto’s moon Charon
Pluto’s largest moon, Charon, now has 12 new names for its topological features.
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AstronomyNew Horizons’ next target has been dubbed Ultima Thule
NASA has named New Horizons spacecraft’s next target Ultima Thule after the public suggested tens of thousands of monikers for the Kuiper Belt object.
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Astronomy86 stars get official names
The International Astronomical Union has released 86 newly official star names, based, in part, on historical star names from various indigenous cultures.
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AnimalsCoral reef crab named after Harry Potter characters
Bizarre rubble-dwelling crab named after critter collector and Harry Potter characters.
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AstronomyGaggle of stars get official names
The names of 227 stars have been formally recognized by the International Astronomical Union.
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Planetary ScienceRock star Freddie Mercury now has his own space rock
Queen front man Freddie Mercury is the latest in a long list of celebrities to have an asteroid named after him.
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AstronomyThe votes are in: Exoplanets get new names
Arion, Galileo and Poltergeist are just three winners of a contest to name planets and suns in 20 solar systems.
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Planetary ScienceCeres mountains and craters named for food
A host of agricultural spirits are immortalized on several craters and mountains on the dwarf planet Ceres.
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GeneticsEvolution caught red-handed
Scientists have named a new gene on the fruit fly Y chromosome “flagrante delicto Y.”
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AstronomyChoose Ninja, Cervantes or Rosalind as names for exoplanets
Names for 20 exoplanets are in the hands of a discerning online audience.