How did Uranus and Neptune get their names?

[parallaxicality]

Was there a particular rationale behind the particular names chosen, as there was with Pluto? (God of the Underworld, initials of Percival Lowell). I just deleted a line in Wikipedia's Neptune entry that said it got its name because it was blue, which seemed preposterous to me, unless I'm underestimating the efficiency of early Victorian telescopes.

[umop ap!sdn]

Doesn't seem preposterous to me, since the elements rubidium, indium, and thallium were also named because of colors associated with them.

It'd still be interesting to know for sure though.

[Dragon Star]

In Roman mythology Neptune (Greek Poseidon) was the god of the Sea.

[korjik]

Gods from roman mythology are what all planets are named after. I believe that Uranus is Saturn's father who is Jupiter's father. Having run out of fathers, I think they went to a brother for Neptune, and same for Pluto

[Gillianren]

Uranus (Ouranous, in the Greek spelling) was a sky god, who along with Gaia (or Gaea, or whatever spelling you'd rather) created life. If you think about it, it's pretty logical that an even-more distant planet would be named after him; he was, yes, the father of Chronos/Saturn. He imprisoned some of Gaia's children for being monstrous freaks, so she armed Chronos/Saturn with an obsidian sickle. He went after his father with it (castrated him with it, in some versions!) and took over his place as head god. Ouranous/Uranus fled beyond Chronos/Saturn's reach . . . or orbit, as it happens.

As for Neptune, I don't remember. I believe Isaac Asimov covers it in Words from the Myths, but again, I don't know what happened to my copy.

[01101001]

USGS/IAU Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature: Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers

Uranus:

Several astronomers, including Flamsteed and Le Monnier, had observed Uranus earlier but had recorded it as a fixed star. Herschel tried unsuccessfully to name his discovery "Georgian Sidus" after George III; the planet was named by Johann Bode in 1781 for the father of Saturn.

Neptune:

Neptune was "predicted" by John Couch Adams and Urbain Le Verrier who, independently, were able to account for the irregularities in the motion of Uranus by correctly predicting the orbital elements of a trans- Uranian body. Using the predicted parameters of Le Verrier (Adams never published his predictions), Johann Galle observed the planet in 1846. Galle wanted to name the planet for Le Verrier, but that was not acceptable to the international astronomical community. Instead, this planet is named for the Roman god of the sea.

No real rationale given for Neptune. Uranus sort of makes sense considering the neighborhood.

[selden]

The name Neptune was suggested by John Couch Adams, who, along with Urbain Le Verrier, is one of the two people credited with discovering it. [edit] Correction: predicting it [/edit]

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neptune_(planet)

[stutefish]

Brothers (and sisters) for the inner planets, too.

What always bugged me was the arbitrary switch from Olympians to Titans, and back again.

Really, shouldn't Saturn have been Juno, and Uranus Minerva, or something?

[George]

Of course, the discoverer, William Herschel in 1781, of lucky planet no. 7 chose to give it a remarkably sound name - "George" (ok, Georgium Sidum - George's planet), in honor of the king.

From here.
"This being the first new planet discovered since Antiquity, Herschel, until then a mere amateur astronomer relatively unknown even in England, became a celebrity. Adopting an historically proven strategy, Herschel named the new planet Georgium Sidum, in honor of the then ruling English monarch George III. The trick worked once again, as King George III gave William and Caroline the titles of "The King's Astronomer" and "Assistant to the King's Astronomer", an honor which came with a life's pension for both."

The French weren't all that pleased with the idea, however. They, and probably others (Americans?), seemed to prefer "Herschel". So it was called the "Georgian Planet" and, though less impressive, "Herschel".

Around 1850, the Germans, mainly Johann Bode, stepped in with the name of "Uranus" (Father of Saturn). I would assume Bode must have had a greater sense of humor than originally thought.

So prior to the discovery of Neptune in 1846 the order was...Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and for the far-out minded - George.

[cjl]

Blue makes sense - with just a 10" scope and poor seeing, I can easily make out the color of both uranus and neptune, as well as resolving them into disks. In a 4" schmidt, I can barely make them out, and they appear as faintly colored points of light, but still with some color visible. I don't see that as too far out of reach.

[umop ap!sdn]

Uranus (Ouranous, in the Greek spelling)

Ouranos, actually. Ouranous would be the accusative plural.

[Dragon Star]

umop strikes again! Dun dun dun!

[Gillianren]

Ouranos, actually. Ouranous would be the accusative plural.

Oh. Well, then. Still, not bad considering, again, I've lost my Asimov.

[Aristocrates]

Also, you're mistaking Chronos (god of time) with Cronus (father of Zeus, alternate spellings Cronos and Kronos)

[Jim]

... Still, not bad considering ... I've lost my Asimov.

Yeah, I've done that, too. But, it seemed a safe bet; I honestly thought the Astros would beat the Chisox.

[Gillianren]

Also, you're mistaking Chronos (god of time) with Cronus (father of Zeus, alternate spellings Cronos and Kronos)

According to Asimov, they're the same god; D'Aulaire's doesn't mention a god of time at all.

[umop ap!sdn]

Heh, I was only trying to be accurate - and sometimes it's hard to be sure when to say something. Anyway, if we had a piece of matter small enough to put between Earth and Uranus, and dense enough to cause gravitational lensing, then we really would have Ouranous.

[Dr Nigel]

More info about the planets and their names and discovery is available here:
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplan...neplanets.html