Support NeoGAF

[Socreges]

Was it named before we knew there were others like it?

At least we named our galaxy. Though "Milky Way" is hardly filled with creative energy.

 

[Date of Lies]

It's clear when we say "Our solar system"

and it's clear when you talk about other solar systems (Alpha Centuri)


How would you name it? seriously?



The Socreges system?

 

[maharg]

Yes, it was. We've only fairly recently actually 'proven' the existence of planets orbiting other stars. Also, our star's name is (as far as I know) considered to be Sol, so the term Solar system may in fact only apply to our own (wikipedia says not, however). Planets orbiting around Betelgeuse might be called the Betelgeus(ian?|e) system.

Also, the milky way originated as the term for the way it looked in the sky, so it's not exactly unoriginal as much as just what it came to be known as....

 

[demi]

[05:10am] <Seth_C> http://www.ga-forum.com/showthread.php?t=12275
[05:10am] <Seth_C> Someone tell that guy we are part of the Sol system.
[05:11am] <Seth_C> Named after our star, Sol.

.

 

[calder]

Bottom line: scientists can't name for shit.


Calvin: "I've been reading about the beginning of the universe. They call it 'The Big Bang.' Isn't it weird how scientists can imagine all the matter of the universe exploding out of a dot smaller than the head of a pin, but they can't come up with a more evocative name for it than 'the Big Bang'? That's the whole problem with science. You've got a bunch of empiricists trying to describe things of unimaginable wonder."

Hobbes: "What would you call the creation of the universe?"

Calvin: "The Horrendous Space Kablooie!"

 

[Socreges]

That's exactly what I suspected, but:

solar system
n.

1. often Solar System The sun together with the nine planets and all other celestial bodies that orbit the sun.
2. A system of planets or other bodies orbiting another star.

Maybe they're wrong.

Yes, it was. We've only fairly recently actually 'proven' the existence of planets orbiting other stars.

Yes, just in the past five years or something. But I figured that we've always pretty much known that other planets or bodies would orbit around other stars.

Also, the milky way originated as the term for the way it looked in the sky, so it's not exactly unoriginal as much as just what it came to be known as....

Yeah, I know. I was just being facetious.

 

[Shompola]

The term solar system derives from Sol, the name given to the star around which we orbit. To the Romans, Sol was a god that personified the bright object that English speakers now call the Sun.

Eventually, solar system and its meaning became agreed upon. All was well until the first world around another Sun-like star was discovered in 1995.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/mystery_monday_031215.html

 

[Phoenix]

Yes, it was. We've only fairly recently actually 'proven' the existence of planets orbiting other stars. Also, our star's name is (as far as I know) considered to be Sol, so the term Solar system may in fact only apply to our own (wikipedia says not, however). Planets orbiting around Betelgeuse might be called the Betelgeus(ian?|e) system.

Also, the milky way originated as the term for the way it looked in the sky, so it's not exactly unoriginal as much as just what it came to be known as....

Ding, these are the answers you seek.

 

[Phoenix]

Yes, just in the past five years or something. But I figured that we've always pretty much known that other planets or bodies would orbit around other stars.

Unfortunately no. Human beings (and particularly scientists/astronomers) have a huge ego when it comes to believing that earth and the solar system are likely 'just like everything else' and for many years scientists who believed that planets orbited other suns were ridiculed (unfortunately). I could never understand why it was such a hotly contested idea because it 'just made sense', just like earth style planets, just like life, just like intelligent life, just like space-faring races.

Much of the perception in the scientific community comes from many age old ideas that the universe somehow revolves around us. The only thing they were right about in that regard was the moon

 

[Kai Dracon]

Unfortunately no. Human beings (and particularly scientists/astronomers) have a huge ego when it comes to believing that earth and the solar system are likely 'just like everything else' and for many years scientists who believed that planets orbited other suns were ridiculed (unfortunately). I could never understand why it was such a hotly contested idea because it 'just made sense', just like earth style planets, just like life, just like intelligent life, just like space-faring races.

Much of the perception in the scientific community comes from many age old ideas that the universe somehow revolves around us. The only thing they were right about in that regard was the moon

IAWTP!

(I been waitin' to use that one.)

 

[Socreges]

It took them until 1995 to realize that naming our system as if it was unique may not have been the brightest idea??

 

[Socreges]

Sorry, I was referring to this:

Eventually, solar system and its meaning became agreed upon. All was well until the first world around another Sun-like star was discovered in 1995.