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Full-Text Articles in Anthropology
Naming Venus: An Exploration Of Goddesses, Heroines, And Famous Women, Kavya Beheraj
Naming Venus: An Exploration Of Goddesses, Heroines, And Famous Women, Kavya Beheraj
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
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, …