 |
Venetia BurneyThe Girl Who Named the Planet Pluto
Date of Birth: 11.07.1918
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
A Childhood Suggestion
In 1930, the discovery of Pluto ignited a debate over its name. At the tender age of 11, Venetia Burney suggested "Pluto" to her grandfather, Falconer Madan, the librarian at Oxford University. Her reasoning was that the distant and mysterious planet resembled the Roman god of the underworld. Struck by the suggestion, Madan passed it on to Professor Herbert Hall Turner of Oxford's astronomy department, who forwarded it to the Lowell Observatory.
An Immortal Legacy
On May 1, 1930, the name "Pluto" was officially adopted and announced to the world. Burney's grandfather rewarded her with a 5-pound note for her ingenious contribution. Years later, as an adult, she expressed her preference for Pluto to remain a planet amidst a 2006 debate about its reclassification as a dwarf planet.
Venetia's Life and Influence
Venetia Burney (later Fair) pursued a career as a schoolteacher and lived in Epsom, south of London. Beyond Pluto, her legacy extends to the asteroid 6235 Burney and the Student Dust Counter instrument aboard the New Horizons spacecraft, which explored Pluto in 2015.
Recognition and Honors
Venetia's suggestion not only named a planet but also left an enduring mark on space exploration. The asteroid 6235 Burney bears her name, as does the Student Dust Counter on the New Horizons spacecraft that visited Pluto.
