Where do planet names come from? | ListList.com

All planets except Earth were named after Roman and Greek gods and goddesses. Saturn, Mars, Venus, Mercury and Jupiter were named thousands of years ago. After the invention of the telescope, the planets continued to be named after Roman and Greek gods and goddesses. In this article, we have explained where the names of the planets come from and the meanings of the names of the planets.

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Where do planet names come from?

The answer to the question of where the names of the planets come from is quite simple. The names of the planets come from the names of Roman and Greek gods and goddesses. Studying Greek astronomy, the Romans named the planets after their divine names Mercury (for Hermes), Venus (Aphrodite), Mars (Ares), Jupiter (Zeus), and Saturn (Kronos). When new planets were discovered in the 18th and 19th centuries, the tradition of naming them after Roman and Greek gods and goddesses was preserved by Neptune (Poseidon). Now let’s see where the names of the planets come from and what their meanings are.

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Mercury

Mercury, the smallest planet in the solar system and closest to the sun, was known to the Sumerians in 3000 BC. Mercury was the son of Jupiter in Roman mythology. In Greek mythology, his name was Hermes. Since Mercury is the fastest god, in Greek mythology he was called Hermes, the messenger of the gods. Also, since Mercury is visible from Earth with the naked eye, each culture has given it its own name.

Venus

Venus, also known as the Shepherd Star, is a very bright planet in the sky. Therefore, this bright planet takes its name from Venus, the goddess of love and beauty in Roman mythology. Venus, whose counterpart in Greek mythology is Aphrodite, is the hottest planet in the solar system.

World

As we mentioned at the beginning of our article, the world did not get its name from the Roman and Greek gods and goddesses. The word peace came into our language from Arabic. According to Islam, there are two lives: the life we ​​live now and the life we ​​will live after death. The life we ​​live now is much closer to us. Therefore, the verb “dena”, which in Arabic means “lower” and “closer”, was translated into Turkish as dunya.

Hymn

The Romans associated it with war and blood, as Mars was red. For this reason, the Romans named it after Mars, the god of war in Roman mythology. The Greek equivalent of Mars is Ares.

Jupiter

Because Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system, the Romans named it after Jupiter, the most powerful god in Roman mythology. Jupiter’s equivalent in Greek mythology is Zeus, the most powerful god that everyone knows very well.

Saturn

The ring planet is named after Saturn, the father of Jupiter in Roman mythology. Saturn is the god of agriculture and harvest in Roman mythology. The equivalent of Saturn in Greek mythology is Kronos. In Greek mythology, Kronos is known to eat his children at the moment of their birth so that they do not desire his kingdom.

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Uranus

Discovered in the 18th century, Uranus was named after a Greek god, not a Roman god. Uranus is the guardian of heaven and heaven. Uranus also makes one revolution around the Sun in 84 years.

Neptune

The farthest planet from Earth is called Neptune because it resembles a huge ocean. Neptune is the god of the sea in Roman mythology. The equivalent of Neptune in Greek mythology is Poseidon.

Pluto

Pluto, a dwarf planet, appeared dark when it was first discovered because it is so far from Earth. For this reason, it takes its name from the Roman god of the underworld, Pluto. Pluto’s equivalent in Greek mythology is Hades.