The surfaces of Mars are adorned with a multitude of names, paying homage to Earthly places, explorers, and even beloved cartoon characters.
NASA’s Perseverance rover is currently investigating rock formations along the edge of Mars’ Belva Crater. Meanwhile, 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers) away, NASA’s Curiosity rover recently collected a sample at a location known as “Ubajara.” While the crater itself has an official name, the specific drilling site is identified by a nickname, denoted by quotation marks.
These names, however, are not limited to craters and hills alone. NASA missions bestow names upon every boulder, pebble, and rock surface they study, serving as vital reference points for the team’s discoveries.
“The primary reason behind assigning all these names is to aid the team in keeping track of their daily findings,” explains Ashwin Vasavada, the project scientist for the Curiosity mission at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “In the future, we can refer to these hills and rocks by name as we discuss and document our discoveries.”
But how exactly do scientists generate these unique identifiers? The process has evolved since its inception 25 years ago when cartoon character names were employed. Let’s take a closer look.
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Official Designations
Distinguishing between official and unofficial names on Mars may seem straightforward. Official monikers have received approval from a body of scientists known as the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The IAU establishes standards for naming planetary features and logs these names in the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature.
For instance, craters larger than 37 miles (60 kilometers) bear the names of esteemed scientists or science-fiction authors. Smaller craters, on the other hand, are named after towns with populations of less than 100,000 people. Jezero Crater, currently explored by Perseverance, shares its name with a town in Bosnia. Within Jezero, Belva Crater is named after a town in West Virginia, which, in turn, honors Belva Lockwood, a suffragist who ran for president in 1884 and 1888.
While over 2,000 locations on Mars possess official names, the Martian map is also dotted with numerous unofficial nicknames.
Evolving Nicknames
In the early stages of Mars exploration, missions often bestowed whimsical nicknames, sometimes even using cartoon character names. The first rover, Sojourner, deployed by NASA’s team in the late 1990s, featured unofficial names such as “Yogi Rock,” “Casper,” and “Scooby-Doo.”
However, the philosophy shifted with subsequent missions like Spirit and Opportunity, as teams opted for more deliberate names. For instance, the Opportunity team nicknamed a crater “Endurance” in tribute to the ship that carried explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ill-fated Antarctic expedition. Curiosity and Perseverance both landed at sites named after renowned science-fiction authors—Ray Bradbury and Octavia E. Butler, respectively. The InSight team christened a rock displaced by the lander’s retrorockets during touchdown as “Rolling Stones Rock,” paying homage to the famous band. Additionally, the Curiosity team named a Martian hill after their colleague Rafael Navarro-González, who tragically passed away due to complications from COVID-19.
Earthly Connections
With some exceptions, the Curiosity and Perseverance missions predominantly rely on nicknames inspired by locations on Earth. Before Curiosity’s arrival in 2012, the rover team developed a geological map of the landing area. They began by creating a grid and dividing it into squares, known as quadrants, each spanning approximately 0.7 miles (1.2 kilometers) on each side. These quadrants were then themed after Earthly sites with geological significance.
Back then and even now, team members propose themes based on places they have worked or possess personal connections to. Informal discussions determine the most intriguing themes, always considering that the chosen names will be immortalized in future scientific papers. Once a theme is chosen, hundreds of names related to that theme are compiled. The abundance of names is necessary since Curiosity may spend several months in a single quadrant, depleting the available options swiftly.
In the case of Curiosity’s latest quadrant, the team selected a theme inspired by Roraima, the northernmost state of Brazil, and specifically Mount Roraima, the highest peak in the Pacaraima Mountains, situated near the border of Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana. This marked the introduction of the first South American quadrant theme. The sulfate-enriched region that Curiosity currently explores, with its flat-topped hills and steep slopes, reminded the team of the “tabletop” mountains in the Pacaraima range.
As for Perseverance, scientists opted to adopt national park themes. The rover is presently investigating the Rocky Mountain quadrant, and it recently performed drilling operations at a location nicknamed “Powell Peak,” after Rocky Mountain National Park.
By adhering to this systematic naming process, NASA ensures efficient communication within the team and enables the proper documentation of their groundbreaking discoveries on the Red Planet.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Mars exploration
How does NASA assign names to features on Mars?
NASA assigns names to features on Mars to help the team keep track of their discoveries. Official names are approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and are recorded in the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Smaller features are often named after towns, while larger craters are named after scientists or science-fiction authors.
Why do NASA missions use unofficial nicknames for certain locations on Mars?
NASA missions use unofficial nicknames as a way to add a touch of creativity and personal connection to the locations they study. These nicknames often pay tribute to famous explorers, science-fiction writers, or even cartoon characters. They provide a more relatable and memorable way to refer to specific features during discussions and documentation.
How have the naming practices evolved over time?
In the early days of Mars exploration, NASA missions used whimsical names, including cartoon character names, for various features. However, as missions progressed, teams started adopting more intentional naming practices. They began using names inspired by Earthly locations with geological significance or those related to influential figures and events. The focus shifted towards creating meaningful connections and memorializing significant contributions.
How do NASA teams choose the themes and names for different quadrants on Mars?
NASA teams propose themes for quadrants based on places they have worked or have personal connections to. After informal discussions, the team selects the most interesting and relevant themes. For each chosen theme, hundreds of names are compiled, ensuring a sufficient supply as the rover may remain in a quadrant for an extended period. The goal is to create a systematic and organized naming process that aids communication and documentation.
How do these names contribute to Mars exploration?
The assigned names play a crucial role in Mars exploration. They allow the team to easily refer to specific features and locations, aiding in daily operations and scientific discussions. Moreover, these names become an essential part of documenting and sharing discoveries with the broader scientific community and the public. They help create a shared language and understanding of the Martian landscape and the exciting findings made by NASA’s missions.
More about Mars exploration
- NASA’s Mars Exploration Program: Official website for NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, providing information about missions, discoveries, and updates on Mars exploration.
- International Astronomical Union (IAU): The official website of the International Astronomical Union, the organization responsible for approving and standardizing planetary feature names.
- Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature: The Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature is the official catalog of named planetary features, including those on Mars, maintained by the IAU and the U.S. Geological Survey.
- NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL): The website for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which manages many of NASA’s robotic missions, including the Mars rovers Curiosity and Perseverance.
- NASA Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Information about NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, including their missions, discoveries, and achievements.
- NASA Mars Perseverance Rover: Official website for NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover mission, featuring updates, images, and scientific findings from the mission.
- NASA InSight Mission: Details about NASA’s InSight mission, designed to study the deep interior of Mars, including information about the lander and its scientific objectives.
