Twitter users get creative with names for the 7 new planets

Twitter users get creative with names for the 7 new planets

Sorry, Pluto, You, Were, Not, Cool, Enough

Folks, if the Internet had its way, then you're looking at the names of the newly discovered seven planets. 

Fortunately (or unfortunately for some), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) isn't considering the suggestions which popped up on Twitter under a trending hashtag #7NamesFor7NewPlanets.

On Feb 21 (Tues), astronomers announced the discovery of a nearby solar system with seven Earth-sized planets. Three of them might have a suitable temperature for water and possible life.

The star which the seven planets orbit around is known as Trappist-1, and it is located 40 light years away from Earth.

Unlike the unique names given to the planets in our solar system, the seven newly discovered ones around Trappist-1 only have scientific names at the moment. 

[embed]https://studio.brightcove.com/products/videocloud/media/videos/5333742866001[/embed]

But what caught our attention was the myriad of names on social media which bordered on cosmic comedy.

[embed]https://twitter.com/NASA/status/835199600709468160[/embed]

After all, the Internet did make Boaty McBoatface a thing. Remember that?

[embed]https://twitter.com/GrumpyOleDude/status/835074312805756929[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/SherryMcKinsey/status/835200138939252736[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/luscas/status/835205219734671360[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/legolas907/status/835215775254392834[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/BigBrain61/status/835201014752034817[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/brunosofistinha/status/835208773639647233[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/patrisck/status/835208214882975744[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/christt/status/835511743094849536[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/felipenmoura/status/835200102406967296[/embed]

Some were pretty concerned about man's propensity to wreak havoc.

[embed]https://twitter.com/Joey368616/status/835200652846510080[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/blackdeanarys/status/835037620065480704?ref_src=twsrc per cent5Etfw[/embed]

While one even proposed renaming Earth. No points for originality there.

[embed]https://twitter.com/BigBrain61/status/835200409610424321[/embed]

Whatever your creative juices can come up with, we can all agree that the responses were out of this world and stellar.  

debwong@sph.com.sg

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