Star Wars and Star Trek Collide on Pluto with Nerd Names

Star Wars and Star Trek fans are usually at odds, but on Pluto's moon, Charon, the two really collide. The craters on the tiny moon have been unofficially named after characters from the beloved sci-fi franchises.

This isn't all that surprising. NASA is working hard on its social media campaign in order to spur young scientists in future space exploration. In fact, about a dozen young scientists have important roles on the New Horizons team, with most just earning their doctorates within the last nine years.

"It's been incredible," said Will Woods, a Stanford graduate student who worked on the New Horizons mission, in a news release. "Working on New Horizons has made some role models very accessible to me-I can go to any one of the scientists on this team, no matter how senior, to ask a question or have a conversation. But at the same time, it's also challenging-I have data to process and work on and I'm expected to contribute."

As far as the names, go, though, it seems as if NASA is pulling out all of its nerd cred. There are areas such as "Cthulu Regio" and "Tartarus Dorsa." There is even a "Sputnik Planum" and "Vader Crater."

Currently, none of these names have been officially approved; but it's likely that they will be. After all, these are the people who first explored and found these regions; it's unlikely that they're going to be renamed.

For more information about the New Horizons mission, visit NASA's website.

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