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Article: Dwarf planet named after the Greek goddess Eris.
- Article from:
- Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL)
- Article date:
- September 14, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Chicago Tribune. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Jeremy Manier
CHICAGO _ Lucy Lawless, take heart.
Astronomers may have given a snub to the TV actress who starred in "Xena: Warrior Princess," when they conferred a new name on a Pluto-sized world they'd previously nicknamed Xena.
But the astronomer who christened the dwarf planet _ now officially called Eris _ said Thursday that he purposely named the world and its moon after deities of discord and lawlessness. Yes, with Lawless the actress in mind.
And here we all thought astronomers were a nerdy bunch.
Mike Brown, leader of the California Institute of Technology team that discovered Eris, said the name also seemed ...