Categories (Themes) for Naming Features on Planets and Satellites
Mercury
Catenae
Radio telescope facilities
Craters
Deceased artists, musicians, painters, and authors who have made outstanding or fundamental contributions to their field and have been recognized as art historically significant figures for more than 50 years
Dorsa
Deceased scientists who have contributed to the study of Mercury
Faculae
Word for "snake" in various languages
Fossae
Significant works of architecture
Montes
Word for "hot" in various languages
Planitiae, plana
Names for Mercury (either the planet or the god) in various languages
Rupēs
Ships of discovery or scientific expeditions
Valles
Abandoned cities (or towns or settlements) of antiquity
Venus
Astra
Goddesses, miscellaneous
Chasmata
Goddesses of hunt; moon goddesses
Colles
Sea goddesses
Coronae
Fertility and earth goddesses
Craters
Deceased women who have made outstanding or fundamental contributions to their field (over 20 km); Common female first names (under 20 km)
Dorsa
Sky goddesses
Farra
Water goddesses
Fluctūs
Goddesses, miscellaneous
Fossae
Goddesses of war
Labyrinthi
Goddesses, miscellaneous
Lineae
Goddesses of war
Montes
Goddesses, miscellaneous (also one physicist)
Paterae
Famous women
Planitiae
Mythological heroines
Plana
Goddesses of prosperity
Regiones
Giantesses and Titanesses (also two Greek alphanumeric)
Rupēs
Goddesses of hearth and home
Tesserae
Goddesses of fate and fortune
Terrae
Goddesses of love
Tholi
Goddesses, miscellaneous
Undae
Desert goddesses
Valles
Word for planet Venus in various world languages (400 km and longer); River goddesses (less than 400 km in length)
The Moon
Note: During the 360 year history of lunar nomenclature, various names were given that do not conform to the present naming scheme, which will be followed for future naming.
Craters
Deceased scientists and polar explorers who have made outstanding or fundamental contributions to their field. Deceased Russian cosmonauts are commemorated by craters in and around Mare Moscoviense. Deceased American astronauts are commemorated by craters in and around the crater Apollo. Appropriate locations will be provided in the future for other space-faring nations should they also suffer fatalities. First names are used for small craters of special interest.
Lacūs, maria, paludes, sinūs, and oceani
Latin terms describing weather and other abstract concepts
Montes
Terrestrial mountain ranges, nearby craters, and deceased scientists who have made outstanding or fundamental contributions to their fields
Rupēs, valles
Nearby craters or other landforms
Dorsa
Geoscientists
Catenae and rimae
Nearby craters
Satellite Features
Craters lettered after nearby prominent named craters
Mars and Martian Satellites
Mars
Albedo Features
Names from classical mythology assigned by Schiaparelli and Antoniadi
Large craters (approximately 50 km and larger)
Deceased scientists, especially those who have contributed significantly to the study of Mars; writers and others who have contributed to the lore of Mars
Small craters (approximately 50 km and smaller)
Small towns and villages of the world with populations of approximately 100,000 or less. This category is simply a large source of crater names. No commemoration of specific towns or villages is intended.
Smaller features within a larger named feature
The normal naming convention shall be suspended and instead their names shall be chosen so that they bear a mnemonic relationship to the given name of the larger feature, followed by the appropriate descriptor term (crater, cavus, patera, etc.).
Large valles
Name for Mars/star in various languages
Small valles
Classical or modern names of rivers
Other features
From a nearby named albedo feature on Schiaparelli or Antoniadi maps. If no nearby albedo feature name is available, then from a nearby named crater.
Deimos
Deceased authors who wrote about martian satellites
Phobos
Deceased scientists involved with the discovery, dynamics, or properties of the martian satellites, and people and places from Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels"
Satellites of Jupiter
Amalthea
People and places associated with the Amalthea myth
Thebe
People and places associated with the Thebe myth
Io
Active eruptive centers
Fire, sun, thunder, and volcano gods and heroes
Catenae
Sun gods
Fluctūs
Name derived from nearby named feature, or fire, sun, thunder, volcano gods, goddesses and heroes, or mythical blacksmiths
Mensae
People associated with Io myth, people from Dante’s Inferno, or derived from a nearby named feature
Montes
Places associated with Io myth, places from Dante’s Inferno, or derived from a nearby named feature
Paterae
Fire, sun, thunder, volcano gods, heroes, goddesses, mythical blacksmiths, including names from the associated eruptive center
Plana
Places associated with Io myth, places from Dante’s Inferno, or derived from a nearby named feature
Regiones
Places associated with Io myth, places from Dante’s Inferno, or derived from a nearby named feature
Tholi
People associated with Io myth, people from Dante’s Inferno, or derived from a nearby named feature
Valles
Named derived from nearby named feature
Europa
Chaos and cavi
Places associated with Celtic myths
Craters and mensae
Celtic gods and heroes
Flexūs
Places associated with the Europa myth, or Celtic stone rows
Large ringed features
Celtic stone circles
Lineae and fossae
People associated with the Europa myth, or Celtic stone rows
Maculae
Places associated with the Europa myth
Regiones
Places associated with Celtic myths
Ganymede
Catenae
Gods and heroes of ancient Fertile Crescent people
Craters
Gods and heroes of ancient Fertile Crescent people
Faculae
Places associated with Egyptian myths
Fossae
Gods (or principals) of ancient Fertile Crescent people
Paterae
Dry wadis (channels) of the Fertile Crescent region
Regiones
Astronomers who discovered Jovian satellites
Sulci
Places associated with myths of ancient people
Callisto
Names are drawn from myths and folktales of cultures of the Far North such as Norse, Chukchi, Inuit, Sami, etc.
Catenae
Rivers, valleys, and ravines from myths and folktales of cultures of the Far North
Craters
Characters from myths and folktales of cultures of the Far North
Faculae
Gods and characters of frost, snow, cold, and sleet from myths and folktales of cultures of the Far North
Large ringed features
Places (other than rivers, valleys and ravines) from myths and folktales of cultures of the Far North
Satellites of Saturn
Janus
People from myth of Castor and Pollux (twins)
Epimetheus
People from myth of Castor and Pollux (twins)
Mimas
Craters
People from Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur legends (Baines translation), also one crater named for the discoverer of Mimas
Chasmata
Places from Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur legends (Baines translation), and places from Greek myths about giants (Mimas was named for a giant)
Enceladus
People and places from Burton's Arabian Nights
Tethys
People and places from Homer's Odyssey
Dione
People and places from Virgil's Aeneid
Rhea
People and places from creation myths (with Asian emphasis)
Titan
Albedo features, terrae
Sacred or enchanted places, paradise, or celestial realms from legends, myths, stories, and poems of cultures from around the world
Colles
Names of characters from Middle-earth, the fictional setting in fantasy novels by English author J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973)
Craters and ringed features
Gods and goddesses of wisdom
Facula and faculae
Facula: Names of islands on Earth that are not politically independent
Faculae: Names of archipelagos
Fluctūs
Gods and goddesses of beauty
Flumina
Names of mythical or imaginary rivers
Freta
Names of characters from the Foundation series of science fiction novels by American author Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)
Insulae
Names of islands from legends and myths
Lacūs and lacunae
Lakes on Earth, preferably with a shape similar to the lacus or lacuna on Titan
Maria
Sea creatures from myth and literature
Montes
Names of mountains and peaks from Middle-earth, the fictional setting in fantasy novels by English author J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973)
Other features (maculae, regiones, paterae, and arcūs)
Deities of happiness, peace, and harmony from world cultures
Planitiae and labyrinthi
Names of planets from the Dune series of science fiction novels by American author Frank Herbert (1920 - 1986)
Sinūs
Names of terrestrial bays, coves, fjords or other inlets
Undae
Gods and goddesses of wind
Virgae
Gods and goddesses of rain
Hyperion
Sun and Moon deities
Iapetus
People and places from Sayers' translation of Chanson de Roland (For craters, French names are generally used in the bright areas, and Saracen names are generally used in the dark areas)
Phoebe
Craters
People associated with Phoebe, people from the Argonautica by Apollonius Rhodius and Valerius Flaccus
Other features
Places from the Argonautica
Satellites of Uranus
Puck
Mischievous (Pucklike) spirits (class)
Miranda
Characters, places from Shakespeare's plays
Ariel
Light spirits (individual and class)
Umbriel
Dark spirits (individual)
Titania
Female Shakespearean characters, places
Oberon
Shakespearean tragic heroes and places
Small Satellites
Heroines from Shakespeare and Pope
Satellites of Neptune
Proteus
Water-related spirits, gods, goddesses (excluding Greek and Roman names)
Triton
Aquatic names, excluding Roman and Greek. Possible categories include worldwide aquatic spirits, terrestrial fountains or fountain locations, terrestrial aquatic features, terrestrial geysers or geyser locations, terrestrial islands.
Nereid
Individual nereids
Small Satellites
Gods and goddesses associated with Neptune/Poseidon mythology or generic mythological aquatic beings
Pluto and Plutonian Satellites
Pluto
Faculae, maculae, and sulci
Gods, goddesses, and other beings associated with the Underworld from mythology, folklore and literature
Cavi, dorsa, lacūs, and paterae
Names for the Underworld and for Underworld locales from mythology, folklore and literature
Fluctūs, fossae, and valles
Heroes and other explorers of the Underworld
Craters and regiones
Scientists and engineers associated with Pluto and the Kuiper Belt
Colles, lineae, planitiae, and terrae
Pioneering space missions and spacecraft
Montes, paludes, rupēs
Historic pioneers who crossed new horizons in the exploration of the Earth, sea and sky
Charon
Maculae, plana, and terrae
Destinations and milestones of fictional space and other exploration
Chasmata
Fictional and mythological vessels of space and other exploration
Craters
Fictional and mythological voyagers, travelers and explorers
Montes
Authors and artists associated with space exploration, especially Pluto and the Kuiper Belt
Styx
River gods
Nix
Deities of the night
Kerberos
Dogs from literature, mythology and history
Hydra
Legendary serpents and dragons
Asteroids
(1) Ceres
Craters
Gods and goddesses of agriculture and vegetation from world mythology
Other features
Names of agricultural festivals of the world
(4) Vesta
Craters
Names historically associated with the Roman goddess Vesta (vestal virgins, people associated with vestal virgins) and famous Roman women. Approved names are not meant to commemorate individuals, but merely as names for surface features.
Regiones
Discoverer of Vesta, and scientists who have contributed to the exploration and study of Vesta
Other features
Places and festivals associated with vestal virgins
(21) Lutetia
Craters
Cities of the Roman Empire and adjacent parts of Europe at the time of Lutetia (52 BC - 360 AD)
Regiones
Discoverer of Lutetia, and provinces of the Roman Empire at the time of Lutetia
Other features
Rivers of the Roman Empire and adjacent parts of Europe at the time of Lutetia
(243) Ida
Craters
Caverns and grottos of the world
Dorsa
Galileo project participants
Regiones
Discoverer of Ida and places associated with the discoverer
(243) Ida I Dactyl
Craters
Idaean dactyls
(253) Mathilde
Craters
Coal fields and basins of the world
(433) Eros
Craters
Mythological and legendary names of an erotic nature
Regiones
Discoverers of Eros
Dorsa
Scientists who have contributed to the exploration and study of Eros
(951) Gaspra
Craters
Spas of the world
Regiones
Discoverer of Gaspra, and Galileo project participants
(2867) Steins
Craters
Names of gemstones
Regio
Discoverer of Steins
Other features
Places associated with gemstones
(25143) Itokawa
All feature types
Places and features associated with astronautics and planetary sciences