Crowdsourcing New Names for Pluto's Moons

The power to name Pluto’s smallest moons, labeled P4 and P5 in this Hubble photo, rests in your hands! Credit: NASA, ESA, M. Showalter (SETI Institute) Any mention of Pluto among astronomy buffs, around water coolers and in comments sections, is enough to spark controversy. When the diminutive world officially became known as a dwarf planet in 2006, many took the “demotion” personally. But an announcement today from the SETI Institute might just be cool enough to bring everyone together. The discoverers of Pluto’s two smallest moons are reaching out to the world for help in naming them. Currently designated P4 and P5, these tiny satellites were discovered in 2011 and 2012, respectively, using Hubble Space Telescope data. These were always temporary labels, though, and the time has come to select their official names. There might be even more moons lurking around the former planet, but the thing about Pluto ...