Planet gender?

[drennan]

Hi.

 

I was just wondering if planets have a gender? i.e. mother earth (which means she is female)?

 

If so, what about the other planets, especially Jutiper.

 

Thanks guys!!

 

Bob

[Klaynos]

Well the gods and mythilogical characters they are named after have a gender so I'd say yes they have a gender but only because of naming conventions.

 

 

|| EDIT http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_%28god%29

[ed84c]

Big things are called female for some reason such as ships. But little things male; poor little guy etc, when treading on an insect of either sex.

[timo]

In many languages (ok, I can only say that for french and german) objects which are genderless in english do have a genderspecific pronoun. In french all objects are either male of female. The genders of objects vary from language to language. But in case of the planets I´d think they have gender of the god(ess) they are named after.

At least in german it´s:

Mercury : Male

Venus : Female

Earth : Female (ok, not a godess)

Mars : Male

Jupiter: Male

Saturn: Male

Urrectum: Male

Neptune: Male

Pluto: Male

[ed84c]

To back up my argument I have some quotes here;

 

On big things;

 

"Shes Made out of Iron, sir, i assure you, she can sink" That dude in titanic.

"Shes breaking up Captain, she kanna take it anymore" Scotty in Startrek

"Come on babe, dont do this to me" many people talking to their cars.

 

On small things;

"Poor little fella" Rolf Harris

 

Thats my take on why mother earth is called mother earth anyway.

[YT2095]

I`m with Atheist on this one, those were the "genders" assigned to the observables back then, a planet has no gender though (for more than obvious reasons).

 

Mother (the feminine) is often attributed to that which is life giving, Mother Nature for instance except in more Modern views where a populous is more male dominated whereby a country can be called the "fatherland", but older names such as "Mother Russia" still exist

[Phi for All]

Big things are called female for some reason such as ships. But little things male; poor little guy etc, when treading on an insect of either sex.

Ladybugs. Queen bees. Black widow spiders. And butterlies all seem to have a generally feminine aspect.

 

I agree that, with the planets, their aspect is based on which gods they represented. I'm only familiar with the Greek and Roman appellations. Did other mythologies identify their gods with the planets?

 

 

 

 

 

(Moved from Theoretical Physics to Astronomy. If the focus continues being simply gender it will move to GD.)

[the tree]

"Shes Made out of Iron' date=' sir, i assure you, she can sink" That dude in titanic.

"Shes breaking up Captain, she kanna take it anymore" Scotty in Startrek[/quote']Those are both refering to ships.

"Come on babe, dont do this to me" many people talking to their cars.

Guys also get called babe.

 

Wait a minute... that augument was completely pointless.

[YT2095]

Guys also get called babe.

 

I Know <smug look>

 

I think it`s more a term of endearment than anything else though, even from a stranger.

it`s no more than saying thanks love or cheers darlin` to the checkout girl at the supermarket, it`s just being sociable really

[Klaynos]

Those are both refering to ships.Guys also get called babe.

 

Wait a minute... that augument was completely pointless.

 

 

I think traditionally man made machines are refered to as female, steam engins etc...

[drennan]

In physics I was told that Pluto was named after the cartoon character (its at the option of who invents the planet as to how it is named). Therefor to refer to PLUTO as a God is a bit much unless you give other greats like Foghorn Leghorn the same respect

 

Seriously though, is this true or is this purely my physics teacher, Dr Richard Graham Sole (name and shame) trying to show how gullible his students are?

 

Also, my take on things is that each God has a gender as well as each language giving something a gender as this is what the language requires, however this does not make a planet male or female, its just your average Joe trying to label something that doesn't need a label.

[timo]

In physics I was told that Pluto was named after the cartoon character (its at the option of who invents the planet as to how it is named).

Sidenote first: "invents the planets" sounds quite funny

 

I do not know who named Pluto. Neither do I know why the name Pluto was chosen. Nevertheless, according to wikipedia Pluto is a god: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto

EDIT: Had I read the 2nd line of the link I just posted, I had read that Pluto is named after this god. I tend to believe wikipedia more than physics teachers (mainly because I know of the quality of their education and their average competence ).

[DV8 2XL]

All of the planets are named after Roman gods. Most are male, the exceptions being Venus and Terra (Earth).

[Skye]

I agree that, with the planets, their aspect is based on which gods they represented. I'm only familiar with the Greek and Roman appellations. Did other mythologies identify their gods with the planets?

I believe that for the Mayans Venus was associated with the god of war.

[Phi for All]

I do not know who named Pluto. Neither do I know why the name Pluto was chosen.

It was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930. I'm not sure if he was given the right to name it or if Pluto had been pre-chosen as the name of the next planet found in our solar system.

Had I read the 2nd line of the link I just posted, I had read that Pluto is named after this god.

His Greek equivalent was Hades, god of the underworld.

[ed84c]

It was discovered at lovell, yes you know the one near ME?!

 

Anyway, heres a story quoting how it was named;

 

Something deep-seated in human nature calls on us to name things. It’s almost as if a thing isn’t real' date=' or whole, until we name it — and so, X had to have a name.

Suggestions flooded in: “Zeus,” “Cronos,” “Lowell,” “Minerva.” Widow Lowell first liked “Zeus,” but later suggested “Percival,” then “Lowell,” and then, finally, “Constance,” her own name.

Dozens of other well-meaning suggestions came pouring in as well. Then there were hundreds, then thousands. But when all was said and done, the moniker for the newly discovered X that the Lowell staff preferred was the one suggested* by 11-year-old Venetia Burney of Oxford, England: Pluto — Pluto, the Greek god of the Underworld; the brother of Jupiter, Neptune, and Juno; and third son of Saturn, who was able, when he wished, to render himself invisible.

Both the American Astronomical Society and the UK’s Royal Astronomical Society adopted Pluto as the official name and as the official symbol for the new world. was Percival Lowell’s monogram. [/quote']

[danny8522003]

Would calling large things female and small things male have anything to do with a comical stereotype?

 

For example, a ship is temperamental and difficult to maneuver. Just like a female

 

*Hides from flaming*