Name 2002 MS4 "Yuggoth"


Name 2002 MS4 "Yuggoth"
The Issue
2002 MS4 is currently the largest known object in the solar system without a name. It is a planetoid (and potential dwarf planet) located in the Kuiper Belt, beyond the orbit of Neptune, with a diameter of around 800 kilometers.
Despite being discovered more than 20 years ago, it still does not have an official name.
I propose giving it the name "Yuggoth", based on the fictional planet from the works of H.P. Lovecraft. In Lovecraft's stories, Yuggoth is described as a small, dark planet orbiting the sun at an extreme distance, beyond the orbit of Neptune, much like 2002 MS4.
2002 MS4 is also known to have an exceedingly high mountain, possibly the tallest in the solar system, even surpassing the height of Olympus Mons on Mars. I also propose naming this mountain "Insania Mons" (Latin for "Mount Madness"), in honor of Lovecraft's novella "At the Mountains of Madness", which featured a range of mountains in Antarctica taller than any in the Himalayas.
A region on Pluto's surface was initially named after Lovecraft's works, being called Cthulhu Macula, but the IAU eventually gave it the official name of Belton Regio instead. I think it is only fair that Lovecraft, whose works have inspired countless science fiction stories and permeated popular culture, should have something in the outer solar system named after him, due to the focus he put on that location in many of his stories.
3
The Issue
2002 MS4 is currently the largest known object in the solar system without a name. It is a planetoid (and potential dwarf planet) located in the Kuiper Belt, beyond the orbit of Neptune, with a diameter of around 800 kilometers.
Despite being discovered more than 20 years ago, it still does not have an official name.
I propose giving it the name "Yuggoth", based on the fictional planet from the works of H.P. Lovecraft. In Lovecraft's stories, Yuggoth is described as a small, dark planet orbiting the sun at an extreme distance, beyond the orbit of Neptune, much like 2002 MS4.
2002 MS4 is also known to have an exceedingly high mountain, possibly the tallest in the solar system, even surpassing the height of Olympus Mons on Mars. I also propose naming this mountain "Insania Mons" (Latin for "Mount Madness"), in honor of Lovecraft's novella "At the Mountains of Madness", which featured a range of mountains in Antarctica taller than any in the Himalayas.
A region on Pluto's surface was initially named after Lovecraft's works, being called Cthulhu Macula, but the IAU eventually gave it the official name of Belton Regio instead. I think it is only fair that Lovecraft, whose works have inspired countless science fiction stories and permeated popular culture, should have something in the outer solar system named after him, due to the focus he put on that location in many of his stories.
3
Petition created on June 26, 2024