I have recently finished reading Stephen Fry's (2017), Mythos: a retelling of the Myths of Ancient Greece (Penguin). The reading is easy and fun, with humour typical of Fry's stage presence and other writing. To read Mythos was also to read a context for the nomenclature of space, a who's-who of astronomical objects and some present day constellations. I place on my list of recommended reading for astronomy bluffs, though given its placement in a fiction genre it frustratingly lacks both a table of contents and an index. Mythos is also a treasury for etymologically curious people as clearly Fry loves to understand words. Read his footnotes, some gems in there also.
To prove the point that space is full of Greek names, I have compiled this summary from a more exhaustive list on the International Astronomical Unions site. Also worth reading their guide to naming conventions, which describes how decisions are made about how things are named, including planetary features like craters.
The Planets
In English speaking astronomy the eight solar system planets bear the names of Roman gods (Uranus exempted), but is also worth observing that there is correspondence to Greek gods and therefore we could consider that the Greek god is also being referenced. I have included Pluto and Ceres in the list, because even though they are no longer considered planets, they fit the pattern being described. Table mostly derived from the Mythology for Dummies Cheat Sheet. Ceres was discovered in 1801, labelled as planet and 'demoted' to an asteroids in the 1850s.
The Moons of the Solar System
The list that follows provides the name of the planet with the name of its moons as indented dot points, only Greek names make it to the list. Roman numerals follow the IAU convention and indicate the planet's orbit order (I assume). Once again I have included Pluto because it fits the pattern.
Earth
- The moon, Selene in Greek, hence the prefix Selenic for 'lunar' features.
Mars
- Phobos (I) - one of the horses that drew Ares chariot (translated 'fear').
- Demios (II) - one of the horses that drew Ares chariot (translated 'flight').
Asteroids
- Eros - god of love
- Ida - a nymph who raised Zeus
- Dactyl (I) - mythological beings who assisted Ida
- Kalliope -
- Linus (I) -
Jupiter
- Io (I) - one of Zeus' lovers. Changed into a cow to protect her from Hera.
- Europa (II) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Ganymede (III) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Callisto (IV) - one of Zeus' lovers. Changed into a bear to protect from Hera.
- Amalthea (V) - naiad who nursed Zeus.
- Himalia (VI) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Elara (VII) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Pasiphae (VIII) - one of Zeus' lovers. Wife of Minos.
- Sinope (IX) - Zeus failed to seduce this character.
- Lysithea (X) - child of Zeus.
- Carme (XI) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Ananke (XII) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Leda (XIII) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Thebe (XIV) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Adrastea (XV) - cared for the infant Zeus.
- Metis (XVI) - one of Zeus' lovers, mother of Athena.
- Callirrhoe (XVII) - step child of Zeus.
- Themisto (XVIII) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Megaclite (XIX) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Taygete (XX) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Chaldene (XXI) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Harpalyke (XXII) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Kalyke (XXIII) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Iocaste (XXIV) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Erinomee (XXV) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Isonoe (XXVI) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Praxidike (XXVII) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Autonoe (XXVIII) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Thyone (XXIX) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Hermippe (XXX) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Aitne (XXXI) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Euanthe (XXXIII) - one of Zeus' lovers.
- Euporie (XXXIV) - daughter of Zeus.
- Orthosie (XXXV) - daughter of Zeus.
- Sponde (XXXVI) - daughter of Zeus.
- Kale (XXXVII) - daughter of Zeus.
- Pasithee (XXXVIII) - daughter of Zeus.
- Hegemone (XXXIX) - daughter of Zeus.
- Mneme (XL) - daughter of Zeus.
- Aoede (XLI) - daughter of Zeus.
- Thelxinoe (XLII) - daughter of Zeus.
- Arche (XLIII) - daughter of Zeus.
- Kallichore (XLIV) - daughter of Zeus.
- Helike (XLV) - daughter of Zeus.
- Carpo (XLVI) - daughter of Zeus.
- Eukelade (XLVII) - daughter of Zeus.
- Cyllene (XLVIII) - daughter of Zeus.
- Kore (XLIX) - daughter of Zeus.
- Herse (L) - daughter of Zeus.
- Dia (LIII) - one of Zeus' lovers.
Saturn
- Mimas (I) - a Titan
- Enceladus (II) - a Titan
- Tethys (III) - a Titan
- Dione (IV) - Zeus had sex with this person.
- Rhea (V) - a Titaness, mother of Zeus.
- Titan (VI) - a Titan.
- Hyperion (VII) - a Titan.
- Iapetus (VIII) - a Titans
- Pheobe (IX) - a Titaness.
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- Epimetheus (XI) - son of Iapetus.
- Helene (XII) - granddaughter of Kronos. Her beauty triggered the Trojan War.
- Telesto (XIII) - daughter of Oceanus and Tethys.
- Calypso (XIV) - daughter of Oceanus and Tethys.
- Atlas (XV) - a Titan.
- Prometheus (XVI) - son of Iapetus.
- Pandora (XVII) - made from clay at the request of Zeus.
- Pan (XVIII) - god of pastoralism.
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- Methone (XXXII) - daughter of the giant Alkyoneos.
- Pallene (XXXIII) - daughter of the giant Alkyoneos.
- Polydeuces (XXXIV) - son of Zeus and Leda.
- Daphnis (XXXV) - son of Hermes, brother of Pan.
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- Anthe (XLIX) - daughter of the giant Alkyoneos.
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- Aegaeon (LIII) - hundred armed giant.
Uranus
- Nothing here, all moons named after characters in Pope's "Rape of the Lock" or characters from Shakespearean plays.
Neptune
- Triton (I) - sea god, son of Poseidon and Amphitrite.
- Nereid (II) - collective term for the daughters of Nereus and Doris ... Poseidon's attendants.
- Naiad (III) - collective term for water nymphs.
- Thalassa (IV) - sea goddess. Mother of Aphrodite or Telchines.
- Despina (V) - daughter of Poseidon and Demeter.
- Galatea (VI) - a nereid.
- Larissa (VII) - one of Poseidon's lovers.
- Proteus (VIII) - a sea god, son of Oceanus and Tethys.
- Halimede (IX) - a nereid.
- Psamathe (X) - a nereid.
- Sao (XI) - a nereid.
- Laomedeia (XII) - a nereid.
- Neso (XIII) - a nereid.
Pluto
- Charon (I) - the boatman who ferried souls across the river Styx.
- Nix (II) - goddess of dark and night, mother of Charon.
- Hydra (III) - monster of the underworld.
- Kerberos (IV) - nine-headed guard dog of the underworld.
- Styx (V) - goddess of the underworld.
Dwarf Planets
- Eris - goddess of discord and strife.
- Dsynomia (I) - daughter of Eris, spirit of lawlessness.
All this amazing cast of characters, and I have not yet started on the stars, or the constellations that include them. Nor the names of features, like craters, on the astronomical objects listed. Both areas are rich sources for links to further Greek mythology.
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