Naming Venus: An Exploration of Goddesses, Heroines, and Famous Women

Author

Kavya Beheraj, The Graduate Center, City University of New YorkFollow

Date of Degree

2-2023

Document Type

Capstone Project

Degree Name

M.S.

Program

Data Analysis & Visualization

Advisor

Aucher Serr

Committee Members

Matthew Gold

Jason Nielsen

Subject Categories

Astrophysics and Astronomy | Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | Folklore | History | Inequality and Stratification | Physical and Environmental Geography

Keywords

data visualization, mapping, globe, planetary nomenclature

Abstract

Humans have been observing and romanticizing Venus for more than 5,000 years. However, mapping its surface has nearly always been impossible, since the planet is shrouded in thick clouds. A breakthrough came just fifty years ago with the invention of radar imaging, leading to the discovery (and naming) of hundreds of new features in a relatively short length of time.

The rapid naming of Venus is a case study on the impact of planetary nomenclature — the process of naming features on other worlds. While the act of naming streamlines communication and humanizes alien landscapes, it is subject to bias, and not all of Earth gets equal representation. On Venus, nearly all 1,976 recorded features are named after famous women, female first names, heroines, or goddesses. However, 45% of those names are European in origin — and only 2% come from South America.

My capstone project, Naming Venus — which can be accessed at this link: https://koffeeya.github.io/naming-venus/index.html — is an interactive web application that aims to draw attention to the impact of nomenclature. Visitors can explore and filter features, see where they are located on its surface, and dive deeper into the stories behind the names of Venus.

Recommended Citation

Beheraj, Kavya, "Naming Venus: An Exploration of Goddesses, Heroines, and Famous Women" (2023). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/5230