The Unmentionable Planet

It's time for me to trot out my more or less (usually less) annual
retelling of the story of how King George III first heard about the
new name of "his" new planet:

KING GEORGE. It *isn't* called George's Star, after all?

COURTIER. Herschel wished it, Your Majesty, but the
scientific community wouldn't have it. So it's not
quite named after you.

KING GEORGE. It isn't?

COURTIER. No, Your Majesty. I'm afraid...I'm afraid it's
named after...

KING GEORGE. Well, out with it, boy!

COURTIER. Well, Your Majesty, it's named after your--

Cut to: EXTERNAL SHOT OF PALACE.

KING GEORGE. [roaring] My WHAT?!?!?!

We draw the curtain of charity over the rest of this scene.

Brian Tung
The Astronomy Corner at http://astro.isi.edu/
Unofficial C5+ Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/c5plus/
The PleiadAtlas Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/pleiadatlas/
My Own Personal FAQ (SAA) at http://astro.isi.edu/reference/faq.txt

Alright Brian, out with it :-), I give up, what was it named after and which
planet is it?

Tom Wales

Alright Brian, out with it :-), I give up, what was it named after and which
planet is it?

Tom Wales

I always wondered how it got its name.

Clear Skies

Chuck Taylor
Do you observe the moon?
Try the Lunar Observing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-observing/
Lunar Picture of the Day http://www.lpod.org/
************************************

"Brian Tung" wrote in message
...
It's time for me to trot out my more or less (usually less) annual
retelling of the story of how King George III first heard about the
new name of "his" new planet:

KING GEORGE. It *isn't* called George's Star, after all?

COURTIER. Herschel wished it, Your Majesty, but the
scientific community wouldn't have it. So it's not
quite named after you.

KING GEORGE. It isn't?

COURTIER. No, Your Majesty. I'm afraid...I'm afraid it's
named after...

KING GEORGE. Well, out with it, boy!

COURTIER. Well, Your Majesty, it's named after your--

Cut to: EXTERNAL SHOT OF PALACE.

KING GEORGE. [roaring] My WHAT?!?!?!

We draw the curtain of charity over the rest of this scene.

Brian Tung
The Astronomy Corner at http://astro.isi.edu/
Unofficial C5+ Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/c5plus/
The PleiadAtlas Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/pleiadatlas/
My Own Personal FAQ (SAA) at http://astro.isi.edu/reference/faq.txt

I always wondered how it got its name.

Clear Skies

Chuck Taylor
Do you observe the moon?
Try the Lunar Observing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-observing/
Lunar Picture of the Day http://www.lpod.org/
************************************

"Brian Tung" wrote in message
...
It's time for me to trot out my more or less (usually less) annual
retelling of the story of how King George III first heard about the
new name of "his" new planet:

KING GEORGE. It *isn't* called George's Star, after all?

COURTIER. Herschel wished it, Your Majesty, but the
scientific community wouldn't have it. So it's not
quite named after you.

KING GEORGE. It isn't?

COURTIER. No, Your Majesty. I'm afraid...I'm afraid it's
named after...

KING GEORGE. Well, out with it, boy!

COURTIER. Well, Your Majesty, it's named after your--

Cut to: EXTERNAL SHOT OF PALACE.

KING GEORGE. [roaring] My WHAT?!?!?!

We draw the curtain of charity over the rest of this scene.

Brian Tung
The Astronomy Corner at http://astro.isi.edu/
Unofficial C5+ Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/c5plus/
The PleiadAtlas Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/pleiadatlas/
My Own Personal FAQ (SAA) at http://astro.isi.edu/reference/faq.txt

Oh geez, I can't believe I didn't get it before. Kinda always wondered how
it got its name too.

Tom Wales

Oh geez, I can't believe I didn't get it before. Kinda always wondered how
it got its name too.

Tom Wales

Chuck Taylor wrote:
I always wondered how it got its name.

I should add that the last few times I've told this story, I used the
term "courtesan" instead of "courtier." Someone then kindly e-mailed
me to inform me of the, ahem, significance of that choice.

Well, this is a family newsgroup, and although my original choice of
words adds a new (and entirely unintended, mind you) dimension of humor
to the story, I've changed it to what you see now.

Brian Tung
The Astronomy Corner at http://astro.isi.edu/
Unofficial C5+ Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/c5plus/
The PleiadAtlas Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/pleiadatlas/
t toMy Own Personal FAQ (SAA) at http://astro.isi.edu/reference/faq.txt

Chuck Taylor wrote:
I always wondered how it got its name.

I should add that the last few times I've told this story, I used the
term "courtesan" instead of "courtier." Someone then kindly e-mailed
me to inform me of the, ahem, significance of that choice.

Well, this is a family newsgroup, and although my original choice of
words adds a new (and entirely unintended, mind you) dimension of humor
to the story, I've changed it to what you see now.

Brian Tung
The Astronomy Corner at http://astro.isi.edu/
Unofficial C5+ Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/c5plus/
The PleiadAtlas Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/pleiadatlas/
t toMy Own Personal FAQ (SAA) at http://astro.isi.edu/reference/faq.txt

He must mean M'ars quoth D'arcy, the Kings astrologer,
Why did I not foresee this?
--
DT
Replace nospam with the antithesis of hills