Why Were Planets Named After Mythological Characters Associated With Them?

Since the earliest ages of humanity, mythology has influenced not only beliefs and languages, but also the names we gave to the sky. In fact, most of the planets we know today take their names from mythological characters. So why were these planets associated with those names?

Mercury

Mercury takes its name from Mercury, the messenger god famous for his speed. In ancient times, Mercury’s appearance in the morning and its appearance in the evening were thought to be two different celestial bodies. Its morning form was called Hermes, while its evening form was called Apollo. When Pythagoras revealed that these were actually the same object, the planet was given the name of the messenger god because of its rapid orbit around the Sun and its quick passage between the morning and evening horizon.

Venus

Venus takes its name from Venus, the goddess of beauty, also known as Aphrodite. When it appears in the sky, it shines so brightly that it is immediately noticeable among other celestial bodies. Because of its position close to the Sun, it is usually visible at sunrise or sunset. That is why it has also been known by names such as the morning star, dawn star, and evening star. Its best-known name, however, is the shepherd’s star. There is also a joking side to all this: is it really a coincidence that the only planet that spins backwards is the female one?

There is another interesting detail about Venus. Since it is the only planet named after a goddess, special care was taken to ensure that the names of its mountains, craters, hills, and rifts were largely chosen from female names. The best-known exception is the highest mountain on the planet, which was named after the scientist James Clerk Maxwell.

Mars

Mars takes its name from Mars, the god of war. It is also known as the Red Planet. Its reddish color reminded ancient people of blood and violence, which made the name of the war god feel especially fitting. There is another interesting link tied to the Roman war season. The Romans would go to war in March when the snow melted. So when Mars appeared in the sky, it also served as a reminder that it was time for war.

Jupiter

Jupiter takes its name from Jupiter, the greatest of the gods, also known as Zeus. The reason is quite obvious: it is also the largest planet in the Solar System. The name of the greatest god was given to the greatest planet.

Saturn

Saturn takes its name from Saturn, the god of time, also known as Cronus. Since Saturn is an outer planet, it takes a very long time to complete its orbit around the Sun. In fact, it can remain in the same constellation for more than two years. Because of this slowness and long cycle, its association with time is hardly surprising.

Uranus

Uranus takes its name from Uranus, the god of the sky. Its bluish appearance also evokes the sky, which makes the connection with its name even more meaningful.

Neptune

Neptune takes its name from Neptune, the god of the sea. The main reason, once again, is its bluish appearance. Its color reminded people of the sea. Because of their similar structures, Uranus and Neptune are also often mentioned together.

Earth

Earth, unlike the others, does not directly bear the name of a god or goddess. However, its Latin name, Terra, represents the earth mother in mythology. So our planet, too, carries indirect mythological associations.

The Mythological Origin Of The Milky Way

As an extra note, the mythological story behind the Milky Way is also quite interesting. Zeus has a child with a mortal woman. That child is Hercules. Zeus wants Hercules to become immortal as well, so he carries him up to the heavens and places him on the breast of the sleeping Hera. Hera wakes in shock and pushes him away, and her milk scatters across the sky. According to mythology, this is how the image of the Milky Way came into being.

Pluto

And let us not pass by the late Pluto, who left us some time ago. Pluto takes its name from Pluto, the god of the underworld, also known as Hades. Because of its location in the far reaches of the Solar System, because so little was known about it for so long, and because of its dark, cold appearance, it was associated with this name. It is, in every sense, a name worthy of the distant and mysterious god of the underworld.