This is a list of named geological features on Pluto, identified by scientists working with data from the New Horizons spacecraft. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially approved the first 14 names on 8 August 2017 (announced 7 September 2017), [1] with additional names following in each subsequent year, but many of the names listed on this page are still informal. [2] The IAU has determined that names will be chosen from the following themes: [3] [4]
A cavus is a hollow or steep-sided depression. Plutonian cavi are named after underworlds from fiction and mythology. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team. [3] [5] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
Feature | Named after | Approval |
---|---|---|
Adlivun Cavus | Underworld in Inuit mythology | Approved 8 Aug 2017 · WGPSN |
Baralku Cavi | Baralku, the island of the dead in Yolngu culture | Not approved |
Hekla Cavus | An Icelandic volcano believed to be the entrance to Hell in medieval European times | Approved 30 May 2018 · WGPSN |
A collis is a low hill. Plutonian colles are named after spacecraft that operated in Earth orbit. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team. [3] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
Feature | Named after | Approval |
---|---|---|
Astrid Colles | The Astrid program, Sweden's first satellites, in turn named after Astrid Lindgren | Not approved |
Challenger Colles | Honors the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger | Approved 7 May 2022 · WGPSN |
Coleta de Dados Colles | Satélite de Coleta de Dados , first Brazilian satellite | Not approved |
Columbia Colles | Honors the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia | Approved 7 May 2022 · WGPSN |
Soyuz Colles | The Soyuz program; honors the loss of Soyuz 11 | Not approved |
Plutonian craters are named after scientists and other people associated with the study of Pluto. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team. [3] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
Feature | Named after | Approval |
---|---|---|
Bower | Ernest Clare Bower, American astronomer who calculated one of the first orbits of Pluto | Approved 11 Sep 2024 · WGPSN |
Brinton | Henry Brinton, NASA administrator instrumental in Pluto studies | Not approved |
Burney | Venetia Burney, who proposed the name of Pluto | Approved 8 Aug 2017 · WGPSN |
Coradini | Angioletta Coradini, Italian planetary scientist | Approved 27 May 2022 · WGPSN |
Coughlin | Thomas Boyd Coughlin, American mechanical and space engineer, first project manager of the New Horizons mission | Approved 3 Jan 2020 · WGPSN |
Edgeworth | Kenneth Edgeworth, Irish astronomer who posited the Kuiper Belt | Approved 3 Feb 2021 · WGPSN |
Elliot | James L. Elliot, discoverer of Pluto's atmosphere | Approved 8 Aug 2017 · WGPSN |
Farinella | Paolo Farinella, Italian astronomer | Approved 11 Sep 2024 · WGPSN |
Gibson | William C. Gibson, Original Science Payload Manager for the New Horizons mission | Approved 8 Jan 2025 · WGPSN |
Giclas | Henry L. Giclas, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory | Approved 8 Jan 2025 · WGPSN |
Guest | John Guest, British volcanologist and planetary scientist | Not approved |
H. Smith | Harlan Smith, astronomer and director of McDonald Observatory | Not approved |
Hardaway | Lisa Hardaway, American aerospace engineer and program manager for the RALPH telescope on New Horizons | Approved 5 Aug 2020 · WGPSN |
Hardie | Robert H. Hardie, American astronomer, co-discoverer of Pluto's 6.4-day rotation period | Approved 3 Jan 2020 · WGPSN |
Hollis | Andrew Hollis, British astronomer | Not Approved |
Isakowitz | Matthew Isakowitz, Aerospace engineer who significantly contributed to commercial spaceflight, and was an intern working for the New Horizons mission | Not approved |
Khare | Bishun Khare, Indian-American chemist specialized in planetary atmospheres, studied tholins extensively | Approved 30 May 2019 · WGPSN |
Kiladze | Rolan Kiladze, Georgian astronomer who investigated the dynamics, astrometry, and photometry of Pluto | Approved 30 May 2019 · WGPSN |
Kowal | Charles T. Kowal, American astronomer who discovered the first centaur | Approved 7 May 2020 · WGPSN |
Oort | Jan Oort, Dutch astronomer who posited the Oort Cloud | Approved 3 Feb 2021 · WGPSN |
Owen | Tobias Owen, whose pioneering work on the origin and composition of planetary atmospheres and comets was revolutionary, along with playing a critical role in several NASA and ESA missions, such as Viking, Voyager, Galileo, Rosetta, Cassini-Huygens, and Juno. Owen was also the chairperson of the Task Group for Outer Solar System Nomenclature. | Not approved |
Pulfrich | Carl Pulfrich, German physicist who developed the blink-comparator used to discover Pluto | Approved 5 Aug 2020 · WGPSN |
Simonelli | Damon Simonelli, American astronomer and Pluto geologist | Approved 30 May 2019 · WGPSN |
Zagar | Damon Francesco, Italian astronomer who carried out early studies of the orbit of Pluto | Approved 5 Aug 2020 · WGPSN |
A dorsum is a ridge. Plutonian dorsa are named after underworlds in mythology. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team. [3] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
Feature | Named after | Approval |
---|---|---|
Pandemonium Dorsa | Pandæmonium, the capital of Hell in the poems of John Milton | Not approved |
Tartarus Dorsa | Tartarus, the pit of hell in Greek mythology | Approved 8 Aug 2017 · WGPSN |
A facula is a bright spot on the surface of a planet. Plutonian faculae are named after underworld creatures from mythology. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team. Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
Feature | Named after | Approval |
---|---|---|
Supay Facula | Supay, spirit who lived in the underworld in Quechua, Aymara, and Incan mythologies | Not approved |
A fluctus is a terrain covered by outflow of liquid. Plutonian fluctūs are named after travellers to the underworld. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team. [3] [5] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
Feature | Named after | Approval |
---|---|---|
Dionysus Fluctus | The god Dionysus from Greek mythology, who travels to Hades (the underworld) to bring the playwright Euripides back | Not approved |
Mpobe Fluctus | Mpobe from Baganda mythology, a hero who willingly enters the underground world | Not approved |
Pere Porter Fluctus | Pere Porter is the character of a 16th-17th century moral novel who travels to hell | Not approved |
Xanthias Fluctus | Xanthias from Greek mythology, the slave who joins Dionysus on his travel to the underworld | Not approved |
A fossa is a ditch-like feature. Plutonian fossae are named after figures associated with underworld myths. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team. [3] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
Feature | Named after | Approval |
---|---|---|
Beatrice Fossa | Beatrice, visits hell and asks Virgil to guide Dante in Dante's Inferno | Approved 3 Feb 2021 · WGPSN |
Djanggawul Fossae | Djanggawul, Yolngu creation figures from the Island of the Dead | Approved 8 Aug 2017 · WGPSN |
Dumuzi Fossa | Dumuzi, Sumerian fertility god who replaced his wife Inanna in the underworld | Approved 3 Feb 2021 · WGPSN |
Hermod Fossae | Hermod, son of Odin, who rode the horse Sleipnir into the underworld to retrieve his brother Balder | Approved 25 Sep 2019 · WGPSN |
Inanna Fossa | Inanna, Sumerian goddess who descended to the underworld | Approved 3 Feb 2021 · WGPSN |
Kaknú Fossa | Kaknú, legendary Ohlone hero who travelled to the underworld to battle Wiwe. He resembled a peregrine falcon. | Approved 12 Aug 2019 · WGPSN |
Mwindo Fossae | Mwindo, legendary Nyanga hero who travelled to the underworld | Approved 30 May 2019 · WGPSN |
Sleipnir Fossa | Sleipnir, the steed Odin rides to the underworld | Approved 8 Aug 2017 · WGPSN |
Sun Wukong Fossa | Sun Wukong, the Chinese Monkey King who went to Hell | Not approved |
Uncama Fossa | Uncama, Zulu tale hero who followed a porcupine underground and came upon the village of dead souls | Approved 3 Jan 2020 · WGPSN |
Virgil Fossae | Virgil, Dante's guide through Hell and Purgatory in The Divine Comedy | Approved 8 Aug 2017 · WGPSN |
A labyrinthus is a complex of intersecting valleys or ridges. Plutonian labyrinthi are named after gods of the underworld. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team. [6] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
Feature | Named after | Approval |
---|---|---|
Xolotl Labyrinthus | Xolotl, god of fire, lightning, and death in Aztec mythology | Not approved [6] |
A lacus is a small plain, derived from the word lake. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team. [3] [5] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
Feature | Named after | Approval |
---|---|---|
Alcyonia Lacus | Lerna, also known as the Alcyonian Lake, was an entry to the netherworld in Greek mythology. | Approved 30 May 2019 · WGPSN |
A linea is an elongated marking. Plutonian lineae are named after space probes. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team. [3] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
Feature | Named after | Approval |
---|---|---|
Chandrayaan Linea | Chandrayaan program, a series of Indian lunar probes (2008-present) | Approved 11 Apr 2023 · WGPSN |
Hiten Linea | Hiten, the first Japanese lunar probe (1990) | Approved 11 Apr 2023 · WGPSN |
Luna Linea | Luna program, a series of Soviet lunar probes (1959–1976), including the first man-made object to reach the Moon | Approved 11 Apr 2023 · WGPSN |
Surveyor Linea | Surveyor program, a series of U.S. lunar probes (1966–1968) | Approved 11 Apr 2023 · WGPSN |
Yutu Linea | Yutu, a series of Chinese lunar rovers (2013-present) | Approved 25 Apr 2023 · WGPSN |
Zond Linea | Zond program, a series of Soviet space probes (1964–1970) | Approved 11 Apr 2023 · WGPSN |
A macula is a dark spot. Plutonian maculae are named after underworld creatures from fiction and mythology. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team. [3] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
Feature | Named after | Approval |
---|---|---|
Cadejo Macula | Cadejo, from Central American folklore | Not approved [7] |
Hun-Came Macula | One of the two leading Maya death gods from the Popol Vuh | Not approved [8] |
Meng-pʻo Macula | Meng Po, the Chinese goddess of forgetfulness after death | Not approved [8] |
Morgoth Macula | Morgoth, a figure of evil in the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien | Not approved [7] |
Vucub-Came Macula | One of the two leading Maya death gods from the Popol Vuh | Not approved [8] |
A mons is a mountain. Plutonian montes (mountain ranges) are named after explorers and adventurers. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team. [3] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
Feature | Named after | Approval |
---|---|---|
Al-Idrisi Montes | Muhammad al-Idrisi, medieval Almoravid explorer | Approved 8 Aug 2017 · WGPSN |
Baret Montes a | Jeanne Baret, first woman to have completed circumnavigation voyage of the globe | Approved 26 Apr 2018 · WGPSN |
Coleman Mons | Bessie Coleman, American aviator, first African-American woman and first Native American to hold a pilot license | Approved 2 Sep 2019 · WGPSN |
Elcano Montes | Juan Sebastián Elcano, completed Magellan's circumnavigation after his death | Approved 30 May 2019 · WGPSN |
Hillary Montes | Edmund Hillary, first to scale Mount Everest (with Tenzing Norgay) | Approved 8 Aug 2017 · WGPSN |
Piccard Mons | Auguste Piccard, conducted measurements of the upper atmosphere using balloons to reach an altitude of 23 kilometers | Approved 30 May 2019 · WGPSN |
Pigafetta Montes | Antonio Pigafetta, participated in Magellan's circumnavigation and wrote its only first-hand record | Approved 30 May 2019 · WGPSN |
Tabei Montes | Junko Tabei, first woman to climb both Mount Everest and the Seven Summits | Approved 19 Nov 2019 · WGPSN |
Tenzing Montes b | Tenzing Norgay, first to scale Mount Everest (with Edmund Hillary) | Approved 8 Aug 2017 · WGPSN |
Wright Mons | Wilbur and Orville Wright, built and flew the first successful airplane | Approved 30 May 2019 · WGPSN |
Zheng He Montes | Zheng He, medieval Chinese explorer | Approved 3 Feb 2021 · WGPSN |
A palus (literally swamp) is a small plain. Paludes on Pluto are named after historic explorers. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team. [3] [5] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
Feature | Named after | Approval |
---|---|---|
David-Néel Palus | Alexandra David-Néel, Belgian–French explorer, best known for her 1924 visit to Lhasa, Tibet | Not approved |
Hyecho Palus | Hyecho, Korean traveler and scholar, crossed Asia from China to Arabia and back in 724-727 | Approved 3 Jan 2020 · WGPSN |
Tinné Paludes | Alexine Tinne, Dutch explorer in Africa, the first European woman to attempt to cross the Sahara | Not approved |
A planum is a plateau or high plain. One (Sputnik Planum) was initially identified on Pluto; but it has since been recognized to be a planitia.
A planitia is a low plain, distinct from plana as they are located on lower terrain. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team. [3] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
Feature | Named after | Approval |
---|---|---|
Lunokhod Planitia | The Lunokhod program, two Soviet lunar rovers | Approved 3 Feb 2021 · WGPSN |
Ranger Planitia | The Ranger program, a series of unmanned probes sent to the moon in the 1960s | Approved 3 Feb 2021 · WGPSN |
Rosetta Planitia | The Rosetta mission, the first mission to orbit and land a spacecraft on a comet. | Approved 7 May 2022 · WGPSN |
Sputnik Planitia | Sputnik 1, the first satellite to orbit the Earth | Approved 8 Aug 2017 · WGPSN |
A regio is a region geographically distinct from its surroundings. Plutonian regiones are named after underworld spirits in fiction and mythology, or after scientists associated with the study of Pluto. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team. [3] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
Feature | Named after | Approval |
---|---|---|
Belton Regio | Michael J. S. Belton, British astronomer | Approved 22 Sep 2023 [8] · WGPSN |
Harrington Regio | Robert Sutton Harrington, American astronomer, the co-discoverer of Charon and first person to calculate the Pluto system's mass | Approved 11 Sep 2024 [8] · WGPSN |
Lowell Regio | Percival Lowell, whose ideas about Planet X inadvertently led to Pluto's discovery | Approved 30 May 2019 · WGPSN |
Safronov Regio | Viktor Safronov, Russian astronomer | Approved 22 Sep 2023 [8] · WGPSN |
Sharaf Regio | Shafika Gil'mievna Sharaf, Soviet astronomer | Approved 11 Sep 2024 [8] · WGPSN |
Tombaugh Regio | Clyde Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto | Approved 8 Aug 2017 · WGPSN |
A rupes is an escarpment. Plutonian rupēs are named after explorers. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team. [3] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
Feature | Named after | Approval |
---|---|---|
Cousteau Rupes | Jacques Cousteau, undersea explorer | Not approved |
Eriksson Rupes | Leif Erikson, first Norse explorer of America | Not approved |
Piri Rupes | Piri Reis, creator of one of the first maps of the New World | Approved 30 May 2019 · WGPSN |
Ride Rupes | Sally Ride, American astronaut and physicist, first American woman in space | Approved 2 Sep 2021 · WGPSN |
A terra is an extensive landmass. Plutonian terrae are named after space probes. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team. [3] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
Feature | Named after | Approval |
---|---|---|
Hayabusa Terra | Hayabusa , the first spacecraft to return a sample of an asteroid | Approved 8 Aug 2017 · WGPSN |
Pioneer Terra | The Pioneer program, which included the first probes to Jupiter and Saturn | Approved 3 Feb 2021 · WGPSN |
Vega Terra | The Vega program, which dropped probes onto Venus's surface along with the first close flybys to Comet Halley | Approved 30 May 2019 · WGPSN |
Venera Terra | The Venera program, first landers on Venus | Approved 30 May 2019 · WGPSN |
Viking Terra | The Viking program, two Mars orbiters and landers | Approved 3 Feb 2021 · WGPSN |
Voyager Terra | The Voyager program, the first probes to visit Uranus, Neptune and interstellar space | Approved 8 Aug 2017 · WGPSN |
A vallis is a valley. Plutonian valles are named after historic explorers. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team. [3] [5] Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.
Feature | Named after | Approval |
---|---|---|
Heyerdahl Vallis | Thor Heyerdahl, Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer | Not approved |
Hunahpu Valles | Hunahpu, one of the mythological Maya Hero Twins | Approved 30 May 2019 · WGPSN |
Ivanov Vallis | Lyubomir Ivanov, Bulgarian scientist and Antarctic explorer | Not approved |
Kupe Vallis | Kupe, legendary discoverer of New Zealand | Not approved |
Lemminkäinen Valles | Lemminkäinen, a hero of the Finnish national epic the Kalevala, traveled to the underworld | Approved 7 May 2022 · WGPSN |
Väinämöinen Valles | Väinämöinen, central character of the Finnish national epic the Kalevala, traveled to the underworld | Approved 7 May 2022 · WGPSN |
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