The Rocky Mountains have faded into a pleasant memory - so back to astrology then!
This morning we read that the IAU has replaced the nickname "Xena", for celestial body UB 2003 313, with the official name "ERIS".
Eris in mythology was goddess of chaos, strife, discord and suchlike.
ERIS in modern times also stands for:
Electoral Reform International Services (ERIS) is a leading provider of specialist electoral and democratisation assistance.
ERIS provides support to emerging democracies for the further consolidation of democracy and good governance around the world, with a particular emphasis on the conduct of credible and transparent elections.
Is this coincidence ?
Must we really adhere to the custom of attributing meaning to celestial bodies based on names allocated by astronomers who deride astrology? Makes no sense to me at all.
There is chaos and discord on Earth now, but it has been around from the year dot. Nothing new there. We already have Uranus and Mars who are quite capable of stirring up chaos with no help from far-distant celestial cousins.
I think that true meanings of all newly discovered bodies will not become clear for decades or even centuries. But - what do I know?
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