The possibility of discovering more moons is part of the reason that the astronomers have not proposed a formal name for P4, let alone P5. "The reason that P4 doesn't have a name yet is we've been tracking possible P5s," Showalter says, adding that none had panned out before Saturday. "If you have two moons to name then it becomes kind of a different process than naming one."

By convention, the moons' names come out of Greek mythology, in this case from stories related to Pluto, the god of the underworld. But the specific choice of myth depends on how many names are needed—if P4 and P5 prove to be the last of the tiny, faint moons to be discovered, then a two-character tale will suffice. "For example, there's the story of Orpheus, the only mortal to go into the underworld and return to save his wife, Eurydice," Showalter says. "Maybe a good name for them would be Orpheus and Eurydice." But if astronomers discover another moon circling Pluto, it's a different story—and a different myth—altogether.

6 Comments

1. 1. knightmage 05:25 PM 7/12/12

   Leave Pluto alone. That subject has been done to a frazzle. It is not a planet. It is a big rock.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

2. 2. jesaphair 05:26 PM 7/12/12

   I think they should name one of the new Moons around Pluto Chione.
   Chione - a goddess of the snow.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

3. 3. Plain-2009 11:15 PM 7/12/12

   How in the world are we discovering a fifth moon around Pluto until now? We have Pluto right in front of our nose. No doubt there is still much to be done. We are just scratching the surface. How in the world is it that that craft is arriving (if I understood correctly)in the vicinity of Pluto until 2015? We have got to contrive faster means of transportation.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

4. 4. Dileep Sathe in reply to knightmage 02:02 AM 7/16/12

   I do not agree with knightmage because I had pointed out a conceptual trouble with the definition of a planet, adopted by the I.A.U. and the expulsion of planet Pluto from the solar system. See my letter http://physics.open.ac.uk/~bwjones/IAU46/pdf/IAUNL66.pdf on p. 19

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

5. 5. Dileep Sathe in reply to knightmage 02:02 AM 7/16/12

   I do not agree with knightmage because I had pointed out a conceptual trouble with the definition of a planet, adopted by the I.A.U. and the expulsion of planet Pluto from the solar system. See my letter http://physics.open.ac.uk/~bwjones/IAU46/pdf/IAUNL66.pdf on p. 19

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

6. 6. jimhudson 07:35 PM 7/19/12

   what an arcane gift (July 7th discovery) for my 70th b'day... a tipple to P5--a new moon for Pluto.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this