> . This striking block was dubbed Jake Matijevic, in honour of a recently deceased Nasa engineer.
They are naming rocks. They haven't even stepped foot on Mars yet and they are already going space mad.
And what's so special about getting a rock named after you? I'm sure there are enough rocks out there that everyone can have their own rock. Why not name a canyon or mountain after him?
If you are working for months with a bunch of rocks (as the NASA rover team is), then you need a way to distinguish rocks from each other, and to accurately reference which exact rock you mean in both documents and conversation.
Names are more memorable than numbers, and names with some meaning to you are more memorable than random words - that's it.
There is a bureaucracy involved. To name a feature, you need approval from International Astronomical Union Working Gruop for Planetary System Nomenclature. No, I am not kidding.
Ah yes, the IAUWGFPSN. You don't mess with those guys. I think they have Gary Coleman on staff. He's a real hard case. Ironically, he killed a man for using the word "ironic" incorrectly.
They are naming rocks. They haven't even stepped foot on Mars yet and they are already going space mad.
And what's so special about getting a rock named after you? I'm sure there are enough rocks out there that everyone can have their own rock. Why not name a canyon or mountain after him?