2006-12-21 00:01:42 · 18 answers · asked by Spinning Times LLC 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The moon's name is Luna and the sun's name is Sol, taken from Latin.
2006-12-21 03:43:35 · answer #1 · answered by Preciosa 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Moon got his name long before other planets and their moons were discovered. The fact we call other planet's sattelites "moons" is probably because we call are own satellite "the moon". I'm not sure about thins but maybe in some languages other planet's satellites and our own maybe don't share the same name... Plus the Moon is sometimes called Luna (from its latin/greek name)
2006-12-21 01:01:39 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The truth need not be that difficult to bare. Our moon was named Moon by some ape like link of evolutionary past, it has been given diety status in Greek & Roman Mythology, as well as Egyptian and Native American belief systems. It has taken on a universal translation in every language ever since. Other planets' moons have been accredited names to astronomer who first observed them, but they could not take credit for that which already had a name. Its debatable about who saw what first, but they all referred to the same celestial object... the Moon.
2006-12-21 01:58:53 · answer #3 · answered by Dennis T 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Our is called 'The Moon', that IS it's name.
All other planets satellites are called 'moons', after the name of ours. They are given alternative names to identify them uniquely, if they were all called 'moon' then no-one would have any idea which one was being talked about !
2006-12-21 00:21:12 · answer #4 · answered by Timbo 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
But it does in some places:
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It has no formal English name other than "the Moon", although it is occasionally called Luna (Latin: moon), or Selene (Greek: moon), to distinguish it from the generic term "moon" (referring to any of the various natural satellites of other planets). Its symbol is a crescent (☽). The related adjective for the Moon is lunar (again from the Latin root), but this is not found in combination with the forms seleno-/-selene (again from the Greek) and -cynthion (from the Lunar deity Cynthia).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon
2006-12-21 00:04:19 · answer #5 · answered by Judy the Wench 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Our moon has been so named long before man discovered that other planets also have their moons.Earth has only one moon. As more and more moons got discovered for other planets, it became necessary to give them names, so that they wont be confused with the Earth's only moon!
2006-12-21 00:13:21 · answer #6 · answered by greenhorn 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The term "moon" is derived from the Latin for month "mensis." which relates to the regular cycle of the moon's phases. Early civilizations were farming societies, and the lunar cycle was the method for marking the passage of time between planting and harvest, which explains the use of "moon" for the Earth's moon.
People don't farm on other planets.
:O
2006-12-21 02:50:51 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Judy the Wench has very good information, but is mistaken on one point..the term 'selene' is, in fact combined to form a very common adjective, selenographic, in reference to positions on the moon (selenographic latitude, for example). I think the answer in reference to the timing of the discovery of moons of other planets is right on.
Of course, another similar question would be 'why is Earth just called Earth (which is also a term for dirt in general)?'
2006-12-21 00:24:35 · answer #8 · answered by David A 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yah im also thinking why.Well the other planets moon are named by humans.Why cant we have one.
2006-12-21 00:15:34 · answer #9 · answered by elizabeth 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
actually it was named many years ago Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,
but it is easier to just call it moon, from then on, we started using smaller words like "io" for other planets' moons
2006-12-21 01:49:20 · answer #10 · answered by Courageous Capt. Cat 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋