Venetia Burney

Venetia Burney (born 1919) or Venetia Phair (married name) was the first person to suggest the name Pluto for the planet discovered by Clyde W. Tombaugh in 1930. She lived in Oxford, England, and was 11 years old at the time.

Related Topics:
1919 - Pluto - Clyde W. Tombaugh - 1930 - Oxford - England

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Interestingly, she was the great-niece of Henry Madan (1838–1901), Science Master of Eton, who in 1878 had suggested the names Phobos and Deimos for the moons of Mars. http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/Obs../0053//0000199.000.html Her grandfather Falconer Madan (1851–1935), Librarian of the Bodleian Library of Oxford University, was the brother of Henry Madan. http://amblesideonline.homestead.com/PRPlanetPluto.html

Related Topics:
Henry Madan - 1838 - 1901 - Eton - 1878 - Phobos - Deimos - Moon - Mars - Falconer Madan - 1851 - 1935 - Bodleian Library - Oxford University

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On March 14 1930, Falconer Madan read the story of the new planet's discovery in The Times of London, and mentioned it to his granddaughter Venetia. She suggested the name Pluto, and Falconer Madan forwarded the suggestion to astronomer Herbert Hall Turner, who cabled his American colleagues at Lowell Observatory.

Related Topics:
March 14 - 1930 - The Times - Herbert Hall Turner - Lowell Observatory

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Venetia grew up to be a teacher and married a man named Maxwell Phair. As of 2004, she was 85 years old and living in Epsom.

Related Topics:
As of 2004 - Epsom

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