Pluto moon to be named after Spock’s planet Vulcan

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Two tiny moons orbiting Pluto, today officially known as P4 and P5, may soon be called “Vulcan” and “Cerberus” thanks to an online poll that wrapped up Monday, according to The Associated Press.

The name “Vulcan” was actually pitched by actor William Shatner, who played Captain James T. Kirk on the original run of “Star Trek.” On the show, Kirk’s friend and trusted pointy-eared associate Spock, played by actor Leonard Nimoy (pictured), hailed from the planet Vulcan, thus the recommendation.

“174,062 votes and Vulcan came out on top of the voting for the naming of Pluto’s moons,” Shatner wrote on Twitter. “Thank you to all who voted!”

The poll was run by the California-based SETI Institute, and the results aren’t official just yet. The International Astronomical Union must approve the names before both moons can be formally christened. Nevertheless, this one’s sure to please fans of “Star Trek.”
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Full disclosure: The author of this post voted for Vulcan.

Photo: Flickr user Brian Wilkins, creative commons licensed.