We Name Other Planets' Moons, So Why Haven't We Named Ours?

Well, the moon does technically have a name: “the moon.” You’re assuming its name is generic for the category. But the moniker is actually exquisitely specific; until Galileo discovered the moons of Jupiter four centuries ago, ours was one-of-a-kind. That is, its name became the name of the category and only started to seem like a lame non-name over time: We forgot how very beautiful and wonderful it is.

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