UGA Student Scores Thrilling Victory by Naming Earth’s Quasi-Moon!

ATHENS, Ga. – A fragment of outer space has received a new designation due to the imaginative efforts of a University of Georgia student.

UGA sophomore Clay Chilcutt secured victory in a competition to allocate a name to one of Earth’s quasi-moons.

The background:

In May 2024, the radio program Radiolab and the International Astronomical Union teamed up for a contest to name the celestial object, which was previously referred to as (164207) 2004 GU9.

Hina Shaikh, an astronomy instructor at UGA, decided to incorporate the contest into one of her classes while examining small solar system entities.

Almost 3,000 individuals hailing from over 90 nations contributed entries for the competition. Following a judging phase that featured a panel of specialists including actor Penn Badgley, Bill Nye, and astrophysicist Dr. Moiya McTier, the entries were reduced to seven finalists.

Two suggestions from Shaikh’s class – Chilcutt’s name “Cardea” and freshman Samuel Lashley’s entry “Tarriaksuk” advanced to the final stage.

In December, over 10,000 individuals cast their votes, ultimately selecting Cardea as the new name for the quasi-moon.

What they’re stating:

In his submission, the sophomore from Douglasville noted that Cardea represented the Roman goddess of entrances and transitions – a suitable title for a quasi-moon that is “constantly balancing the space between Earth and the universe.”

“Being a history enthusiast with a fascination for empires, especially Roman, I chose to research Greco-Roman mythology and found the name Cardea appealing,” Chilcutt informed UGA. “I picked her for not just her name but also what she signifies, perfect for a celestial entity like the quasi-moon. Studying astronomy and astrophysics is a personal interest, and the class was extremely compelling, with my professor delivering engaging and knowledgeable insights. I discovered quasi-moons during the course, and while this project provided extra credit, my involvement was driven by genuine fascination rather than just for grades. Contributing to science and being part of something historically significant is truly an honor.” 

“I am thrilled with the result and pleased for Clay,” Shaikh expressed. “I intended to spark interest in Astronomy among my students with a little extra credit and didn’t expect anything beyond that. Naturally, once two suggestions from my students made it to the final vote, I was cheering for one of them to emerge victorious, and ultimately Clay with ‘Cardea’ succeeded.”

Wider perspective:

As per the International Astronomical Union, quasi-moons are asteroids that revolve around the Sun in a manner akin to that of a planet.

Due to their movement patterns, it seems to observers that these fragments of space rock are orbiting planetary bodies similar to our moon.

Numerous celestial entities populate the sky, but advancements in technology have recently enhanced astronomers’ capabilities to identify them more routinely.

For further information regarding the contest, you can explore here.

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