A Great Debate -Naming of Earth's Twin Planet 581c

We posted yesterday and last Friday about the fact that there is still much to learn about the possibility of life on new "Super-Earth" planet, 581 c, discovered last week by the European Southern Observatory's telescope team at La Silla, Chile.

We have had a heated discussion in our comments listing about the naming of this new, possible twin to planet earth. The discovery seems to have unleashed a wave of excitement and hope in the possibility that we are not alone in the Universe(as common sense should tell us!). Many of our Daily Galaxy community believe that we should honor the inhabitants of 581c, if and when they are discovered and contact is made, and adopt the name they have given to their home base.

In the interim, we think that a quite delightful solution would be a temporary selected by a worldwide contest among children eleven and under.

What do you think?

Prior posts:

Discovery of Super Earth

Earth's Twin Habitable?

A Must Read on 581c

Comments

[Howie Modell]

It's 50% larger than Earth, and more massive (greater gravity).

It's in a system of a Red Sun.

It's only a few dozen lightyears away.

It is obviously KRYPTON. Yeah, Howie! Now that's a great name for it! Love it...Casey

[Kiki]

i actually think that this is a very interesting discovery. I know a group of 7th and 8th graders at Mill Creek Technology Academy in Kent, Washington that would be quite interested in this. I think that a contest of students in Jr. Highs, Middle Schools and lower would make as a great contest.

Thanks!

[Johannes]

If we leave this up to the kids, we'll end up calling mankind's twin race the Bug-Eyed Zorogaks.