Explanation for why Lowell Observatory chose the name Pluto for the newly discovered planet

Explanation for why Lowell Observatory chose the name Pluto for the newly discovered planet

Pluto; Planet X; Astronomy; Planetary Discovery; Minerva; Cronus; Uranus; Jupiter; Lowell, Percival; Putnam, Roger L.; Royal Astronomical Society; Lowell Observatory; Flagstaff.

This statement from Lowell Observatory's sole trustee, Roger L. Putnam, lists the top three name suggestions that the observatory received for the new planet. The observatory received hundreds of correspondence from spectators across the world with proposed names for the new planet, but the staff ultimately decided on three from Roman mythology to keep with the name tradition of the other planets. These names included Minerva, Cronus, and Pluto, and Putnam offers reasons why the observatory ultimately decided upon Pluto. The statement also offers an initial idea to use the letters "PL" as the planet's symbol, which would also honor Percival Lowell who started the exploration for Planet X.

Putnam, Roger L.

1930

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Pluto Collection. a_Pluto_0040.tif