NASA recently revealed that one of the craters of Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun, was named after former beatle John Lennon. This tribute is in addition to 114 other famous people, who also bear his name on the same planet.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has been the arbiter of planetary and satellite nomenclature since its creation in 1919. Thus the names established for the craters of Mercury bear the names of deceased artists, musicians, painters and authors who made outstanding contributions in their area, and have been recognized as figures of art of historical importance for more than 50 years.
David Blewett, a scientist who is part of the mission to Mercury "Messenger", says there is a practical reason to name craters. " After a while, the identification of craters by their latitude and longitude becomes laborious. By naming them, it makes it easier for scientists to communicate about them, share notes and observations".
The list of celebrities in Mercury is completed by names such as: Truman Capote, the author of "In Cold Blood"; Natalie Clifford Barney, French-American playwright, poet and novelist; Alexander Calder, American sculptor best known kinetic sculpture as mobile and Enrico Caruso, Italian tenor.
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