Lanivet School’s Astronomy Club, run by STEM Ambassadors Emma Hugo and Carol Miller, has won a contest to name one of Jupiter’s newly discovered Moons.
In July 2018, astronomers announced the discovery of 12 new moons of Jupiter, bringing the total number to 79, more than any other planet in the Solar System. To offer the public a chance to get involved in naming these celestial bodies, the Carnegie Institute launched a contest, inviting suggestions of names for five of the new satellites.
The competition included some rules that the suggestions should adhere to, including that they must be names of characters from Roman or Greek mythology who were either descendants or lovers of Jupiter (Roman) or Zeus (Greek).
Lanivet School Astronomy Club successfully named one of the new moons Pandia. Pandia is the daughter of Zeus and the Moon goddess Selene, the Panda is also the school’s mascot in honour of the village’s former role as a bamboo supplier to the London Zoo.
Congratulations to the students in Lanivet Astronomy Club, and to Emma and Carol. A fantastic example of STEM Ambassadors bringing a local angle to a national competition and using the opportunity to engage students.