These icy bodies orbit the sun just like the major planets, yet they follow their own rules, often traveling along elongated ...

Back in the 1980’s, a now-defunct magazine called Science Digest held a contest to name Planet X — the still-undiscovered world that astronomers believed might lie out beyond Pluto. One of the best ...

This morning at 9:00 am PT, the SETI Institute will announce the new names of Pluto’s smallest known moons. “Vulcan” and “Cerberus” were the public’s choices earlier this year, following a ...

No more pussyfooting around. It's official: Pluto has 14 new place names. Most we suspected would be there, but a few are new. Pluto's "heart" now bears the name of American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, ...

Planets, moons and other celestial bodies are named according to rules established by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Pluto did not have any rules for naming surface features because, ...

Arizona has a new state emblem — and it's one that has been a source of controversy among scientists for years. Gov. Katie Hobbs signed a bill on Friday designating Pluto — once considered the ninth ...

Not much to name in our current view of Pluto (left). That will all change during the July flyby when New Horizons will image features down to 1 mile (1.6 km) across. Credit: NASA Here's your chance ...

Pluto will mark a birthday of sorts on March 23, 2178. No one is likely to be there to celebrate it, of course. Even if ...