2007-12-05 02:28:41 · 17 answers · asked by Phil McCracken 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It's got various names, including Diana, Selene and Cynthia.
2007-12-05 06:43:44 · answer #1 · answered by grayure 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Well it has to do with a number of reasons and its mainly historic. You see, during the time of Galileo, the majority view was that the Earth was the center of the universe and the Sun Moon and Planets went around the Earth. No one knew that other planets had satellites (moons) or the Sun can have satellites (planets). The word "Gravity" was not yet invented and the sun, moon and planets went around the Earth because they were attached to transparent crystal spheres.
When Galileo pointed his newly made telescope at Jupiter, he discovered 4 satellites, and there was 1 around Saturn (Titan) at the time.
So to distinguish those moons from our "Moon" (Luna, Lunar...) which was the only one known at the time, those moons have names and ours don't! Our moons' name is the "Moon" (thats the best I can do :)
2007-12-05 03:54:16 · answer #2 · answered by arinc_429 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It's name is Moon.
Strictly speaking, other other 'moons' in the solar system should not be called moons, they should be called satellites.
But then people would confuse them with artificial satellites.
2007-12-05 04:38:27 · answer #3 · answered by Nick J 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Until the last 400 years, we didn't even *know* the other planets had satellites... Our moon is called the moon, but to give it another name means to lower it's status to match those we found later. That would be beneath it's dignity....
2007-12-05 03:40:48 · answer #4 · answered by quantumclaustrophobe 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The Moon (capital M). The word moon (lower case m) is used by analogy to describe satellites of other planets.
In the same way, it us our Sun, which is comparable to many of the "suns" we see out there.
Our Galaxy was long thought to be be only one, until we discovered other galaxies.
Our Galaxy is often called the Milky Way galaxy; ethymologically, the Milky Way is the band of light (collective glow of stars too faint to be seen individually) that is visible from Earth; it only represents two arms of the spiral galaxy.
But the name is precise enough that no one gets confused.
2007-12-05 02:44:43 · answer #5 · answered by Raymond 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It does - it is called Luna from the Roman Goddess of the Moon - so roughly Moon is a translation of the word Luna
2007-12-05 02:36:03 · answer #6 · answered by jamand 7 · 6⤊ 1⤋
You should think very very hard about this one. Like when was our "Moon" neighbour first discovered?? i.e. They couldn't keep calling all moons later discovered just moons coold they... Got it yet?? Sheesh!
2007-12-05 02:35:24 · answer #7 · answered by Antman 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
I do belive it was called a luna Moon ??
2007-12-05 03:44:19 · answer #8 · answered by LDS Pete 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It's name is "the moon"
2007-12-05 02:31:55 · answer #9 · answered by Rafa-No1 3 · 3⤊ 3⤋
I've heard it referred to as "Luna" in some astromony and space travel books.
2007-12-05 02:39:01 · answer #10 · answered by Gemz L 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋