Man has always gazed at the sky, drawn by the beauty of its dark blue depths and infinity. The mysterious movements of stars and planets have led him to observe and study the laws of their motion since ancient times.
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto – dwarf planet
Although Hipparchus was the first to observe Uranus, which is also visible to the naked eye, British amateur astronomer William F. Herschel concluded in 1781 that it was not a star as previously thought. He proposed the name “Georgium Sidus” or “George’s Star” in honor of British King George III. However, after decades of debate, Johann Elert Bode, a member of the international scientific community who also proposed the name for Neptune, suggested that the planet be named Uranus after the Greek god of the sky. Uranus represents the celestial sky and is the first ruler of the world after the original Chaos. It symbolizes transcendence, abandoning the old, unnecessary, and futile. In order to give way to the new and to start a new life cycle, it is necessary to sacrifice the old.
It is interesting that the planet Uranus has the largest axial tilt of 98 degrees from the plane of its orbit, making it appear as if it is rolling along its path around the Sun.
Neptune, the farthest planet from the Sun, was first observed by Galileo Galilei in 1612, but he described it as a small star. The existence of another larger body exerting gravitational influence on Uranus’ movement was noticed by German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle in 1846. English mathematician John Adams and French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier independently determined the position of the hypothetical planet through complex mathematical calculations, and Galle found it exactly where the mathematicians predicted using a telescope. The atmosphere of Neptune is composed of hydrogen, helium, and methane, which gives the planet its blue color. It was named after the Roman god of the sea due to this blueness.
Research by American mathematician and astronomer Percival Law In 1930, Lowell’s observatory led astronomer Clyde Tombaugh to the discovery of Pluto, which was immediately classified as a planet, assuming that it was much larger than it actually is. The way it got its name is interesting. Lowell’s widow suggested that it be called Percival or Zeus. Names like Kron, Vulcan, and Tantal were also proposed. However, the name was given by an eleven-year-old Venetia Burney, who named it after her favorite Disney character from the animated film Mickey Mouse. Her grandfather had told her a story about the discovery of a new planet. The name was widely accepted for several reasons. The first two letters of the name were the initials of Percival Lowell. Just like the Roman god Pluto is located underground, far from the daily light, this planet is also found in the dark depths of the solar system. Just like the god of the underworld had a helmet that made him invisible, the newly discovered planet could not be seen with the naked eye. Since 2006, Pluto has been classified as a dwarf planet. Uran is a planet, not a star as previously believed.
The name often reflects a significant characteristic of the person who bears it, as the Latin saying goes, “nomen est omen”. The word “planet” is of ancient Greek origin, derived from the term “aster planetos”, which translates to wandering star. It is difficult for us to imagine how many undiscovered wandering stars there are in our sky, even though science is constantly illuminating distant corners of our universe for us.