Zoozve — Now it's Official (plus contest to name an Earth quasi-moon)
February 5, 2024 10:15 PM Subscribe
Breaking news about Zoozve The International Astronomical Union's Working Group on Small Bodies Nomenclature has made a decision, and that decision is to accept Radiolab's suggestion to name Venus' quasi-moon Zoozve! (Why did they suggest this? Previously.)
Typically, asteroids which might someday collide with Earth are given mythological names (such as Apophis), but the working group will go the other way if there's a good enough reason, and the bizarre backstory on "Zoozve" apparently sufficed. Next up, Radiolab will be holding a contest to name one of Earth's quasi-moons), so get your mythological naming mojo going if you want to take part in that.
Typically, asteroids which might someday collide with Earth are given mythological names (such as Apophis), but the working group will go the other way if there's a good enough reason, and the bizarre backstory on "Zoozve" apparently sufficed. Next up, Radiolab will be holding a contest to name one of Earth's quasi-moons), so get your mythological naming mojo going if you want to take part in that.
So does that make Feb 5 now and forever Zooz-day?
posted by neuracnu at 10:39 PM on February 5 [2 favorites]
posted by neuracnu at 10:39 PM on February 5 [2 favorites]
I think I bought some Zoozve-brand shorts off Amazon, once.
posted by slater at 10:41 PM on February 5 [10 favorites]
posted by slater at 10:41 PM on February 5 [10 favorites]
I just like saying keyser zoovze.
posted by clavdivs at 11:05 PM on February 5 [3 favorites]
posted by clavdivs at 11:05 PM on February 5 [3 favorites]
Formal announcement: WGSBN Bulletin, Vol. 4, #2, IAU, pg. 9. Wikipedia is already on it: 524522 Zoozve.
posted by RichardP at 12:18 AM on February 6 [3 favorites]
posted by RichardP at 12:18 AM on February 6 [3 favorites]
Lots of fascinating reasons for names given in that bulletin RichardP linked to. For instance, I never knew that Barbe-Thérèse Marjou had been such a close collaborator with her husband, Pierre Méchain, that she could continue with the project after his death:
posted by Kattullus at 1:16 AM on February 6 [4 favorites]
(21004) Thérèsemarjou = 1988 BM4Incidentally, (21004) Thérèsemarjou is a main belt asteroid, and you can learn a bit more, and see a picture of its orbit, at the Minor Planet Center website.
Discovery: 1988-01-22 / H. Debehogne / La Silla / 809
Barbe-Thérèse Marjou, born 1755, was the wife of Pierre Méchain (1744-1804), a French astronomer who undertook a geodetic survey of France with the aim to determine the length of a one-degree arc of the meridian through Paris. When he died in 1804, she continued his calculations at the Observatoire de Paris.
posted by Kattullus at 1:16 AM on February 6 [4 favorites]
So the original graphic artist made an egregious blunder. I mean his only job was to make an educational children's poster of the solar system and he inserted an extra moon that didn't exist.
But not to worry, reality re-arranged itself and caused that moon to come into existence and so not only is his poster quasi-correct now but he sells it as the poster that "kicked off" an idea. The IAU says that he "coined" a new name.
This guy got the ultimate free pass. Nice story, though and I do like the silliness of the name.
posted by vacapinta at 1:50 AM on February 6 [4 favorites]
But not to worry, reality re-arranged itself and caused that moon to come into existence and so not only is his poster quasi-correct now but he sells it as the poster that "kicked off" an idea. The IAU says that he "coined" a new name.
This guy got the ultimate free pass. Nice story, though and I do like the silliness of the name.
posted by vacapinta at 1:50 AM on February 6 [4 favorites]
The truth was so bland, and the lie so excellent, that we agreed for the lie to become the truth.
posted by fantabulous timewaster at 4:39 AM on February 6 [12 favorites]
posted by fantabulous timewaster at 4:39 AM on February 6 [12 favorites]
Good job "Zoozve:" as an unlikely but catchy string of letters, you narrowly missed being a cryptocurrency or a messaging app for predators or an expensive prescription that turns out to have nothing but dangerous side effects.
posted by snuffleupagus at 5:54 AM on February 6 [9 favorites]
posted by snuffleupagus at 5:54 AM on February 6 [9 favorites]
This is such a fun, crazy story! Love it.
If you read the announcement PDF, there's a lot of asteroids named after wives who helped in scientific discoveries, relatives, and Diana Gabaldon. One person named an asteroid after their daughter-in-law and another is named after a father-in-law.
posted by jenfullmoon at 5:57 AM on February 6
If you read the announcement PDF, there's a lot of asteroids named after wives who helped in scientific discoveries, relatives, and Diana Gabaldon. One person named an asteroid after their daughter-in-law and another is named after a father-in-law.
posted by jenfullmoon at 5:57 AM on February 6
I want there to be Zoozve t-shirts. I'm not sure I would buy one, but still, it should exist, shouldn't it?
posted by Foosnark at 6:13 AM on February 6
posted by Foosnark at 6:13 AM on February 6
Zoozve sounds like the kind of system name that Elite would procedurally generate. You know Zoozve, it's near Tionisla, well known for its ancient rock formations, the famous edible shrew and its inhabitants' eccentric mating traditions.
(Unforunately, it looks like the nearest it could actually generate would be Zausve.)
posted by offog at 6:14 AM on February 6 [4 favorites]
(Unforunately, it looks like the nearest it could actually generate would be Zausve.)
posted by offog at 6:14 AM on February 6 [4 favorites]
Another asteroid named for a number: 46610 Bésixdouze. 46610 is the sequential number assigned to it, which is B612 in hexadecimal, and B612 is the name of the asteroid in Le Petit Prince.
posted by madcaptenor at 6:20 AM on February 6 [11 favorites]
posted by madcaptenor at 6:20 AM on February 6 [11 favorites]
I started skimming through the list of new names, as one does, and spot:
I've been seeing him for nearly 30 years, and my husband and his family have been going to him for over 40 years now. [He retired a few years ago, but it's still his practice.]
Sadly, he's recently disclosed a terminal cancer diagnosis, but I'm so happy he's getting this honor while he's still around.
posted by cheshyre at 8:04 AM on February 6 [11 favorites]
(20066) Sagov = 1993 TM4That's my doctor!
Discovery: 1993-10-08 / Spacewatch / Kitt Peak / 691
Stanley E. Sagov (b. 1944) is a highly respected family-practice physician who also taught at Harvard Medical School; he obtained his MD at the University of Cape Town before moving to the US. Sagov also is well known as an accomplished jazz musician. Name proposed by D. W. E. Green, whose family was attended by Dr. Sagov for nearly forty years.
I've been seeing him for nearly 30 years, and my husband and his family have been going to him for over 40 years now. [He retired a few years ago, but it's still his practice.]
Sadly, he's recently disclosed a terminal cancer diagnosis, but I'm so happy he's getting this honor while he's still around.
posted by cheshyre at 8:04 AM on February 6 [11 favorites]
I want there to be Zoozve t-shirts.
https://www.cafepress.com/+zoozve+t-shirts
posted by neuron at 9:25 AM on February 6 [1 favorite]
https://www.cafepress.com/+zoozve+t-shirts
posted by neuron at 9:25 AM on February 6 [1 favorite]
i would say "how phildickian" but i'm afraid of what the basilisk would do
posted by graywyvern at 10:50 AM on February 6
posted by graywyvern at 10:50 AM on February 6
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Fun story, and after all that Pluto bullshit…
posted by Windopaene at 10:25 PM on February 5 [1 favorite]