Should this asteroid be named Vulcan?

[Joey P - the official]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_AV2

Instead of creating a poll on whether you support it being named Vulcan or not, instead sign this petition I made if you want it to be true:
https://www.change.org/p/internatio...he-newly-discovered-asteroid-2020-av2-vulcan/

 

[Ronald Held]

I do not know if this is a good ideas. Will have to ruminate on it.

 

[XCV330]

the IAU has long reserved Vulcan for a hypothetical planet (or now a dwarf planet, presumably) between Mercury and the Sun, so it is unlikely they will change their mind, now.

 

[Joey P - the official]

the IAU has long reserved Vulcan for a hypothetical planet (or now a dwarf planet, presumably) between Mercury and the Sun, so it is unlikely they will change their mind, now.

Since when did the IAU reserve that name? I don't think the IAU reserves names for certain stuff that frequently (though they reserved the name "Judecca" for a trans-Neptunian super-Earth in one of Larry Niven's short stories).

 

[XCV330]

Since when did the IAU reserve that name? I don't think the IAU reserves names for certain stuff that frequently (though they reserved the name "Judecca" for a trans-Neptunian super-Earth in one of Larry Niven's short stories).

Historical reasons and because Vulcanoids is a hypothetical class placeholder held by the IAU.

Vulcan was misidentified in the 19th century as a planet because Mercury's orbit was not strictly keplerian (Einstein wasn't yet around to explain the anomaly) . So it was a case of thinking there was a planet there when there wasn't. The name for the objects orbiting inside of Mercury's orbit, if any ever are found, would be Vulcanoids.

insert Search for Spock joke here.

 

[Joey P - the official]

I also want 2020 AV2 to be named Vulcan because Hephaestus was married to Aphrodite (Venus), even though she didn't love him back...

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

"I want" never gets. I didn't sign the petition. I prefer the name Spocky MacSpockface.

 

[Joey P - the official]

And the main reason why the IAU should STOP reserving Vulcan for vulcanoids or any planet closer in than Mercury is because neither exist in the first place. Both do not exist - so the name's taken by non-existant/imaginary objects - they've been ruled out long ago. Simple.

 

[Imaus]

And the main reason why the IAU should STOP reserving Vulcan for vulcanoids or any planet closer in than Mercury is because neither exist in the first place. Both do not exist - so the name's taken by non-existant/imaginary objects - they've been ruled out long ago. Simple.

Eh I'm fine with that. They can exist. They'll be incredibly small, I'm hearing within the 1-5km range. However, they would still be incredibly metal-rich and important bits of rock, so holding the name 'Vulcan' for them is fine. If we do prove they do not exist, without a shadow of a doubt, probably after an intramercurial probe, then I'm fine giving up the name but for now...it is alluring.

 

[Ronald Held]

Save Vulcan for an appropriate planet in the 40 Eridani A system.