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User:Iridia/List of planetary features with Australian Aboriginal names

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In the International Astronomical Union's system of unique feature names for topographic and albedo features on planets and moons in the Solar System, many are named in the languages of the indigenous Aboriginal peoples of Australia.[1][nb 1] There are several hundred diverse Aboriginal language and kinship groups across Australia, with varying levels of commonality and relationship. The names adopted for extraterrestrial locations are primarily from the many Aboriginal mythologies; the most frequent are those of peoples from Central and Northern Australia. There are also a number of places named for Australian towns, some of which have Aboriginal names. These town names are often transcribed versions of the original Aboriginal words; for example, the Australian capital city Canberra is modified[nb 2][2] from Kambera, "meeting place" in the language of the local Ngunnawal people.

Venus

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Features on the planet Venus are named for women and goddesses. Coronae are oval features of uncertain origin, named for fertility and earth goddesses. Planitiae, low plains, are mythological heroines. Tholi, small dome-like hills, are named for (miscellaneous) goddesses. Valles, valleys, are named according to their length: if more than 400 km, after the word for the planet in various world languages.[3][4]

  • Anjea Corona: (Queensland) mother and guardian goddess, forms infants from mud and places them into their future mothers.[5]
  • Banumbirr Vallis: The Yolgnu of northeastern Arnhem Land name for the planet.[6][7] The important "Morning Star" ceremony is held by Yolgnu when Venus rises a few hours before dawn.[7]
  • Dilga Corona: Karadjeri (NW Australia) earth goddess.[8]
  • Eingana Corona: Snake goddess, maker of all beings.[9]
  • Junkgowa Corona: Yulengor fertility goddess.[10]
  • Kunapipi Mons: Mother earth goddess. Changed from Kunapipi Corona.[11]
  • Lowana Planitia: Heroine; lived alone by the sea weaving baskets.[12]
  • Madalait Corona: Creator goddess; "Creator of life."[13]
  • Miralaidji Corona: Fertility goddess.[14]
  • Narina Tholi: Goddess of wild birds.[15]
  • Wawalag Planitia: Yulengor (Arnhem Land) heroines, two sisters who evolved language.[16]

Mars

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  • Bombala Crater: A town on the Bombala River and Monaro Highway about 60km WSW of Bega and about 90 km S of ]]Cooma]].[17] Originally Ngarigo land; said to have come from an Aboriginal term for "meeting of the waters" but no linguistic evidence for this.[18]
  • Boulia Crater: Town in Queensland.[19] The name is derived from the Pitta Pitta name of the waterhole.[20]
  • Canberra Crater: Australian tracking site.[21]
  • 1291 Coogoon Valles: River in Queensland. (Valid?)
  • 1293 Cooma Crater: Town in New South Wales. http://www.gnb.nsw.gov.au/place_naming/placename_search/extract?id=JPIOZxUlGH 'Coombah' for 'big lake' or 'open country'. (Info. from Down Lachlan Years Ago - Condobolin William A. Bayley). Also: 'lake', 'sandbank' or 'one'. (McCarthy; 1963).
  • 1539 Dingo Crater: Town in Australia.
  • 2958 Katoomba Crater: Town in Australia.
  • 3626 Mandora Crater: Town in Australia. (I think this should be Mandorah, NT?)
  • 4073 Murgoo Crater: Town in Australia.
  • 4242 Nhill Crater: Town in Victoria, Australia.
  • 4470 Oodnadatta Crater: Town in Australia.
  • 5922 Tepko Crater: Town in Australia. (valid?)
  • 6490 Warra Crater: Town in Australia.
  • 6491 Warrego Valles: Modern Australian River.
  • 6576 Woomera Crater: Australian launch site.
  • 6629 Yalata Crater: Town in Australia.
  • 14211 Yalgoo Crater: Town in Australia.

Asteroids

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Itokawa

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  • Arcoona Regio: Gold mine near the Hayabusa capsule recovery site, about 30 km north of Woomera.[22]

Gaspra

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  • 4032 Moree Crater: Spa.

Mathilde

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  • 4065 Mulgildie Crater: Coal basin.

Ida

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  • 6222 Undara Crater: Lava tube from Undara Volcano, North Queensland.

Io

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The innermost moon of Jupiter, Io is a world emblazoned with the reds, yellows, whites and blacks of sulphur chemistry and the scars of active volcanism. Its features have a wide variety of naming themes: gods, goddesses and heroes associated with fire, sun, thunder, and volcanoes; mythical blacksmiths; people associated with the myth of Io; or people from Dante's Inferno. Names may also be derived from a nearby, more prominent feature; this is a situation where the same name could be used for both a volcano and an adjacent valley.[3]

Paterae, volcanic pits with flat floors and steep walls, are named in the Dantean or Greek categories, and include names from their associated eruptive center.[3][4]

  • Altjirra Patera: The Aranda sky god Altjira, whose voice is thunder.[23] There is also a Kuiper belt object named for this deity.
  • Cuchi Patera: Snake demon whose growl is thunder.[24]
  • Namarrkun Patera: "Lightning man" who made lightning and thunder by striking clouds with stone axes attached to his elbows and knees;[25] also known as Mamaragan.

Saturn

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Titan

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The largest moon of Saturn is a world in its own right: Titan has a dense atmosphere and complex weather system, with liquid-carved river networks and sizable seas. Its virgae, streaks or stripes of colour, are named for rain gods and goddesses.[3][4]

  • Kalseru Virga: Arnhem Land rainbow serpent goddess.[26] Kalseru, also known as Julunggul, brings rain and oversees rites of initiation into manhood.

Rhea

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  • Imberombera: Kakadu-peoples creator goddess, the Great Mother, mate of the giant Wuraka.[27]
  • Karora Crater: Aranda (specifically Gurra and Bandicoot) ancestor. In his dreams, Karora gives birth to animals and male children.[28]
  • Wungaran Catenae: Landing place of Imberombera after crossing the sea (modern Malay Bay). There she met Wuraka.[29]
  • Wuraka Crater: Kakadu ancestor of all people; a giant.[30]

Hyperion

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  • Bahloo: The Moon; "maker of girl babies"[31] and fond of snakes, Bahloo is found in the lore of many Aboriginal peoples.

Uranus

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Ariel

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  • Yangoor Crater: Spirit which brings day.[32]

Umbriel

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Trans-neptunian objects

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The trans-Neptunian objects are small, cold worlds, far beyond the orbit of Neptune.

Notes

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  1. ^ As of September 2010, there are no features named in the languages of Torres Strait Islanders.
  2. ^ "The earliest written reference to the name comes in a letter written by Moore in 1826 in which he spelt it Canbery. Other visitors to the area referred to Nganbra, Gnabra and Canbury. The early registers at St John’s church (two kilometres from the present city centre) used Canbery and Canberry, but in 1858 the word Canberra was used and this was accepted by almost everyone by the 1860s, though not officially adopted until 1913." Hull.

References

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  1. ^ "USGS Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  2. ^ Hull, Crispin. "Canberra — Australia's National Capital". Crispin Hull. Retrieved 14 September 2010. {{cite web}}: |chapter= ignored (help)
  3. ^ a b c d "Categories for Naming Features on Planets and Satellites". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN). Retrieved 3 September 2010.
  4. ^ a b c "Descriptor Terms (Feature Types)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN). Retrieved 3 September 2010.
  5. ^ "Anjea Corona". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  6. ^ "Banumbirr Vallis". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  7. ^ a b Norris, R. P. (2007). Vaiskunas, Jonas (ed.). "Searching for the Astronomy of Aboriginal Australians" (PDF). Astronomy & Cosmology in Folk Traditions and Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  8. ^ "Dilga Corona". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  9. ^ "Eingana Corona". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  10. ^ "Junkgowa Corona". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  11. ^ "Kunapipi Mons". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  12. ^ "Lowana Planitia". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  13. ^ "Madalait Corona". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  14. ^ "Miralaidji Corona". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  15. ^ "Narina Tholi". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  16. ^ "Wawalag Planitia". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  17. ^ "Bombala Crater". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  18. ^ "Bombala". Geographical Names Register Extract. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  19. ^ "Boulia Crater". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  20. ^ O'Donnell, Alan. "History of Boulia". Boulia Shire Council. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  21. ^ "Canberra Crater". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  22. ^ "Arcoona Regio". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  23. ^ "Altjirra Patera". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  24. ^ "Cuchi Patera". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  25. ^ "Namarrkun Patera". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  26. ^ "Kalseru Virga". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  27. ^ "Imberombera Crater". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  28. ^ "Karora Crater". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  29. ^ "Wungaran Catenae". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  30. ^ "Wuraka Crater". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  31. ^ "Bahloo Crater". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  32. ^ "Yangoor Crater". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  33. ^ "Malingee Crater". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  34. ^ "Wunda Crater". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
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