User:Arsia Mons/plutog

Annotated map of Pluto. Meng-p'o Macula and Yutu Linea are split across the edges of the map.

The geological features on Pluto are being identified by scientists working with data from the New Horizons spacecraft. The International Astronomical Union has determined that the names for these features will be chosen from the following themes:

1. Names for the underworld from the world's mythologies.
2. Gods, goddesses, and dwarfs associated with the underworld.
3. Heroes and other explorers of the underworld.
4. Writers associated with Pluto and the Kuiper belt.
5. Scientists and engineers associated with Pluto and the Kuiper belt.

The following is a list of unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team but not yet approved by the IAU. Themes in parentheses do not correspond with the ones above.

Maculae

A macula is a dark spot. Plutonian maculae are being named after underworld creatures from fiction and mythology.

Feature	Named after
Ala Macula	Ala, an Igbo god of the underworld
Balrog Macula	balrog, an underground demon in the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien
Cadejo Macula	cadejo, from Central American folklore
Hun-Came Macula	One of the two leading Maya death gods from the Popol Vuh
Krun Macula	Krun, the Mandaean overlord of the underworld
Meng-p'o Macula	Meng Po, the Chinese goddess of forgetfulness after death
Morgoth Macula	Morgoth, a figure of evil in the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien
Vucub-Came Macula	One of the two leading Maya death gods from the Popol Vuh

Plana

A planum is a plateau or high plain. Only one has been identified thus far on Pluto and is named after a space probe.

Feature	Named after
Sputnik Planum	Sputnik 1, the first satellite to orbit the Earth

Regiones

A regio is a region geographically distinct from its surroundings. Plutonian regiones are being named after underworld spirits in fiction and mythology, or after scientists associated with the study of Pluto.

Feature	Named after
Cthulhu Regio	Cthulhu, an ancient underworld deity in the writings of H.P. Lovecraft
Lowell Regio	Percival Lowell, whose ideas about Planet X inadvertently led to Pluto's discovery
Tombaugh Regio	Clyde Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto

Terrae

A terra is an extensive landmass. Plutonian terrae are being named after space probes.

Feature	Named after
Hayabusa Terra	Hayabusa, the first spacecraft to return a sample of an asteroid
Pioneer Terra	the Pioneer program, the first spacecraft to explore the outer Solar System
Venera Terra	the Venera program, first landers on Venus
Viking Terra	the Viking program, landers on Mars
Voyager Terra	the Voyager program, the first probes to Uranus, Neptune and interstellar space

Mountain ranges and hills

Feature	Named after	Theme
al-Idrisi Montes	Muhammad al-Idrisi, medieval Almoravid explorer	explorer
Astrid Colles	the Astrid program, Sweden's first satellites	satellite
Baré Montes	Jeanne Baré, first woman to circumnavigate the Earth	explorer
Challenger Colles	honors the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger	manned spaceflight
Coleta de Dados Colles	Satélite de Coleta de Dados, first Brazilian satellites	satellite
Columbia Colles	honors the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia	manned spaceflight
Hillary Montes	Edmund Hillary, first to scale Mount Everest (with Tenzing Norgay)	explorer
Norgay Montes	Tenzing Norgay, first to scale Mount Everest (with Edmund Hillary)	explorer
Pandemonium Dorsa	Pandæmonium, the capital of Hell in Milton	underworld
Piccard Mons		explorer
Soyuz Colles	the Soyuz program; honors the loss of Soyuz 11	manned spaceflight
Tartarus Dorsa	Tartarus, the Greek pit of hell	underworld
Wright Mons
Zheng He Montes	Zheng He, medieval Chinese explorer	explorer

Valleys and depressions

Feature	Named after	Theme
Beatrice Fossa	Beatrice Portinari, as Dante's guide from Purgatory to Heaven	underworld figure
Djanggawul Fossae	Djanggawul, Yolngu creation figures from the Island of the Dead	underworld figures
Dumuzi Fossa	Dumuzid, legendary Sumerian king who replaced his wife Inanna in the underworld	underworld figure
Inanna Fossa	Inanna, Sumerian queen who descended to the underworld	underworld figure
Kupe Vallis	Kupe, legendary discoverer of New Zealand	explorer
Quidlivun Cavus	Inuit: the land on the Moon where the souls of the dead find rest	mythology
Sleipnir Fossa	Sleipnir, the steed Odin rides to the underworld	underworld figure
Sun Wukong Fossa	Sun Wukong, the Chinese Monkey King who went to Hell and wiped his name from The Book of Life and Dead	underworld figure
Virgil Fossa	Virgil, as Dante's guide in Hell and Purgatory	underworld figure

Craters

Feature	Named after	Theme
Brinton Crater	Henry Brinton, NASA administrator instrumental in Pluto studies	scientist
Burney Crater	Venetia Burney, who proposed the name of Pluto	—
Coradini Crater	Angioletta Coradini, Italian astronomer	scientist
Drake Crater	Michael Julian Drake, British-American astronomer who chaired the committee that approved the New Horizons mission	scientist
Elliot Crater	James L. Elliot, discoverer of Pluto's atmosphere	scientist
Farinella Crater	Paolo Farinella, Italian astronomer	scientist
Giclas Crater	Henry L. Giclas, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory	scientist
Guest Crater	John Guest, British volcanologist and planetary scientist	scientist
H. Smith Crater	Harlan Smith, astronomer and director of McDonald Observatory	scientist
Harrington Crater	Robert Sutton Harrington, co-discoverer of Charon	scientist
Hollis Crater	Andrew J. Hollis, British astronomer	scientist
K. Edgeworth Crater	Kenneth Edgeworth, Irish astronomer who posited the Kuiper Belt	scientist
Kowal Crater	Charles T. Kowal, American astronomer who discovered the first centaur	scientist
Oort Crater	Jan Oort, Dutch astronomer who posited the Oort Cloud	scientist
Pulfrich Crater	Carl Pulfrich, German physicist who developed the blink-comparator used to discover Pluto	scientist
Safronov Crater	Viktor Safronov, Russian astronomer	scientist
Simonelli Crater	Damon Simonelli, American astronomer and Pluto geologist	scientist

Lineae and escarpments

Feature	Named after	Theme
Chandrayaan Linea	the Chandrayaan program, India's first lunar probes	lunar exploration
Cousteau Rupes	Jacques Cousteau, undersea explorer who invented scuba gear	explorer
Eriksson Rupes	Leif Erikson, first Norse explorer of America	explorer
Luna Linea	the Luna program, the first spacecraft to visit the Moon	lunar exploration
Yutu Linea	Yutu, the first Chinese lunar rover	lunar exploration

See also

• Geography of Pluto
• Geology of Pluto
• List of geological features on Charon