Planets, moons and other celestial bodies are named according to rules established by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Pluto did not have any rules for naming surface features because, ...

In Roman mythology, Pluto is the god and ruler of the dead. For a return mission to the dwarf planet, Howett and her colleagues opted for the name Persephone, after Pluto's wife and "queen of the ...

Pluto may have been demoted to non-planet status, but it still commands a court of five moons, as is fitting for the king of ...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A dwarf planet orbiting beyond Neptune has been designated the third plutoid in the solar system and given the name Makemake, the International Astronomical Union said on ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Pluto is considered a planetary oddball -- a tiny, frozen world so unlike the other planets that some astronomers doubt whether it even deserves to be called a planet.

Not much to name in our current view of Pluto (left). That will all change during the July flyby when New Horizons will image features down to 1 mile (1.6 km) across. Credit: NASA Here's your chance ...