The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has published a list of seven name options for Earth’s quasi-moon 2004 GU9. The winner will be chosen by voting on the Internet.
What is a quasi-moon
2004 GU9 was discovered in 2004. It is a near-Earth asteroid from the Apollo group whose diameter is estimated at 160 meters. Observations have shown that it is a quasi-moon of the Earth. This means that 2004 GU9 is in a 1:1 orbital resonance with our planet. This allows the asteroid to remain close to Earth for a long time.
However, this will not last forever. Quasi-moons differ from real moons in that their orbit is too far away from the planet, and therefore unstable. Because of this, such bodies eventually drift into interplanetary space. In the case of 2004 GU9, it will leave Earth’s vicinity after the year 2600.
Contest for a name for Earth’s quasi-moon
Until recently, quasi-moons of planets did not get their own names. That all changed after the curious story of Venus’ quasi-moon Zoozve. This object got such an unusual name because of the poor handwriting of the illustrator who created the solar system poster. He wrote out its official number 2002 VE and then misread his own handwriting. As a result, 2002 VE became Zoozve.
After writer and Radiolab podcast host Latif Nasser noticed this strange name and discovered its origin, he contacted the asteroid’s discoverer Brian Skiff and asked permission to make Zoozve its official name. The astronomer agreed and sent a request to the IAU. The latter, in turn, did not protest. Thus, the quasi-moon of Venus became Zoozve.
Inspired by this story, Nasser then suggested that the IAU choose a name for the Earth’s quasi-moon as well. Astronomers again supported the initiative and announced a contest, offering to send variants of names for 2004 GU9.
Recently, the contest’s judging board released the list of seven names that reached the finals. It looks as follows:
- Bakunawa is a mythical dragon from Philippine folklore that is said to rise from the ocean to swallow the Moon, causing eclipses.
- Cardea is the Roman goddess of doorways and passage, guarding thresholds.
- Ehaema is the mother of twilight from Estonian folklore, symbolizing the balance between light and darkness.
- Enkidu is the noble companion of Gilgamesh in the epic of the same name from Sumerian mythology.
- Otr is a shape-shifting dwarf from Norse mythology who spent his days in the guise of an otter, traversing the boundaries between the earthly and otherworldly realms.
- Tarriaksuk are, in Inuit legends, shadow creatures that mirror human forms but dwell in other dimensions.
- Tecciztecatl is the Aztec lunar god who once aspired to be the Sun, but his hesitant leap made him the Moon.
The winner will be selected by voting on the Radiolab website. It will run until January 1, 2025. You can vote for your favorite name here.
