Petition: Changing the planet name of Kepler 22-b to "Namek"

[Angelus]

https://www.change.org/p/nasa-changing- ... b-to-namek


As a fan of Dragon Ball, Z/GT/Super, Planet Namek has been an icon throughout the stories of the famous anime series/manga series created by Akira Toriyama (Animated by Toei Animation). I have made this petition to get Kepler 22b an official name, which will be named after a very lavish planet. They look alike as well. I petition to change the name of Kepler 22b to "Namek".

LETTER TO:
International Astronomical Union
Changing the planet name of Kepler 22-b to "Namek"

Lou Earley started this petition with a single signature, and now has 18,097 supporters. Start a petition today to change something you care about.

Sign the petition! Let's make it happen!

[sangofe]

That's quite a funny petition!

[JulieYBM]

Why should a real planet be named after a planet from some dumb comic? To tie it back to the comic? Why do that?

[VegettoEX]

Why should a real planet be named after a planet from some dumb comic? To tie it back to the comic? Why do that?

Holy Hell Jacob let people have fun every once in a while.

And this is ME saying this.

[Doctor.]

That's just an artist's conception of the planet. We have no idea about how the planet REALLY looks like since we don't have the necessary equipment to notice such details so far into space. Despite how cool it'd be, it seems pointless, and it would be dumb if it's named Namek and when we actually discover what it really looks like, it has nothing to do with the fictional planet we love.

[Angelus]

I don't know. XD

Lou Earley started the petition and I don't even know the guy or his intentions. I was going with the flow. It's all over a bunch of Facebook DBZ groups already. It's just fun, I guess.

[Kamiccolo9]

That's just an artist's conception of the planet. We have no idea about how the planet REALLY looks like since we don't have the necessary equipment to notice such details so far into space. Despite how cool it'd be, it seems pointless, and it would be dumb if it's named Namek and when we actually discover what it really looks like, it has nothing to do with the fictional planet we love.

It'd be pretty cool if it was a red volcanic planet. Then we can petition for it to be named "Dying Namek."

[Dbzfan94]

I don't know. XD

Lou Earley started the petition and I don't even know the guy or his intentions. I was going with the flow. It's all over a bunch of Facebook DBZ groups already. It's just fun, I guess.

I remember seeing this years ago, glad to see it again lol

[Cetra]

I am also for calling a Planet Krypton and the other one Melmac.

[Angelus]

I don't know. XD

Lou Earley started the petition and I don't even know the guy or his intentions. I was going with the flow. It's all over a bunch of Facebook DBZ groups already. It's just fun, I guess.

I remember seeing this years ago, glad to see it again lol

From the same change.org? XD

How many petition signatures did it get?

[JulieYBM]

Why should a real planet be named after a planet from some dumb comic? To tie it back to the comic? Why do that?

Holy Hell Jacob let people have fun every once in a while.

And this is ME saying this.

Fun is my middle name (90% of time), but when your argument for naming a planet is "I don't know" I have to question whether the idea is less "this is something I love and brings me joy" and more "hey guys, recognize meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee and my interests you don't like and frown upon!!!!!" yelled from the Statue of Liberty with a megaphone while draped in a gaudily colored banner. Then again, I have to also question what there is to love and feel happy towards in naming a planet after a comic franchise just so a bunch of scientists who have probably never heard of Dragon Ball can refer to it as such in semi-formal settings.

Understanding ourselves is the first thing discussion should cultivate. If we can't understand ourselves, how can we express ourselves?

(I probably won't reply to any reply until tomorrow at the earliest, I've got work stuff to do).

[precita]

I will sign only when they discover green broccoli people living on the planet. Also when will they discover Planet Vegeta?

[DoomieDoomie911]

Why should a real planet be named after a planet from some dumb comic? To tie it back to the comic? Why do that?

Holy Hell Jacob let people have fun every once in a while.

And this is ME saying this.

I thought petitions weren't allowed on the forum. Has that changed?

[Dbzfan94]

I don't know. XD

Lou Earley started the petition and I don't even know the guy or his intentions. I was going with the flow. It's all over a bunch of Facebook DBZ groups already. It's just fun, I guess.

I remember seeing this years ago, glad to see it again lol

From the same change.org? XD

How many petition signatures did it get?

I don't know if it was the same organization but it was definitely the same type of petition. It was a while ago so I can't really answer your question that well. Sorry :/

[Zephyr]

when your argument for naming a planet is "I don't know"

I didn't see that as anyone's argument anywhere.

I don't see how this, in the grand scheme of things, differs very much from naming planets after Roman deities. Sure, not everyone is aware, knowledgeable, or cares about Dragon Ball, but the same could likewise be said of Roman Mythology.

I can only think of two potentially-relevant differences between Roman Mythology and Dragon Ball that one may bring up:

1. Roman Mythology had more of an effect on the real world

2. More people recognize Roman Mythological names

Regarding the former, I would say that this is a matter of perspective. We don't know how much of an effect something actually has on the future of civilization until it's in the future. I'm not suggesting that Dragon Ball will leave as much of a mark on human civilization as Rome, or anything to that effect. Rather, this assertion is one that cannot be made with justification and without ignorance. Which renders it not a very damning one.

Regarding the latter, I don't think it matters much. An argument could also be made that the fact that the planets were named as such skyrocketed the recognizability of the names. However, even if this were incorrect, one would still need to establish what constitutes "recognizable enough" to warrant being the name of a planet, and that's going to be an arbitrary line regardless.

[Angelus]

In just an hour... it's already have 22K supporters.... from 18K.

[voltlunok]

Why should a real planet be named after a planet from some dumb comic? To tie it back to the comic? Why do that?

I don't know, possibly for the same reason there are proteins in the brain named after video game characters (Pikachurin and Sonic Hedgehog.) or how about the fact that Japan's self defense force has code named their still under development advanced personal combat equipment, Gundam. Why? For the hell of it! That's why!

[ShadowDude112]

Why should a real planet be named after a planet from some dumb comic? To tie it back to the comic? Why do that?

In all seriousness, it's because it's fun and the planet is green and looks like Namek. We have genes named after blue hedgehogs, we reference things all the time. Why? Because it's fun. People like relating these things together. Spice things up. These things are part of our culture, so of course we want them to be in something significant. We have Star Wars day on May 4th because it makes a funny pun. Everyone was having a blast on October 21st, 2015 because it was the day Marty, Jennifer, and Dr. Brown traveled to in Back to the Future Part 2.

[Angelus]

Over 25,000 now.

[Kid Buu]

That's pretty funny.

I'll be sure to sign it at one point