This is a list of named geological features on Pluto, identified by scientists working with data from the New Horizons spacecraft. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially approved the first 14 names on 8 August 2017 (announced 7 September 2017), with additional names following in each subsequent year, but many of the names listed on this page are still informal. The IAU has determined that names will be chosen from the following themes: Names for the underworld from the world's mythologies Gods, goddesses, and dwarfs associated with the underworld Heroes and other explorers of the underworld Writers associated with Pluto and the Kuiper belt Pioneering space missions and spacecraft Scientists and engineers associated with Pluto and the Kuiper belt

Cavi

A cavus is a hollow or steep-sided depression. Plutonian cavi are named after underworlds from fiction and mythology. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team. Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.

Feature Named after Approval Adlivun Cavus Underworld in Inuit mythology 8 Aug 2017 Baralku Cavi Baralku, the island of the dead in Yolngu culture — Hekla Cavus An Icelandic volcano believed to be the entrance to Hell in medieval European times 30 May 2018

Colles

A collis is a low hill. Plutonian colles are named after spacecraft that operated in Earth orbit. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team. Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.

Feature Named after Approval Astrid Colles The Astrid program, Sweden's first satellites, in turn named after Astrid Lindgren — Challenger Colles Honors the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger 7 May 2022 Coleta de Dados Colles Satélite de Coleta de Dados, first Brazilian satellite — Columbia Colles Honors the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia 7 May 2022 Soyuz Colles The Soyuz program; honors the loss of Soyuz 11 —

Craters

Plutonian craters are named after scientists and other people associated with the study of Pluto. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team. Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such. Feature Named after Approval BowerInformally had the name "Drake Crater" before it received its official name. Ernest Clare Bower, American astronomer who calculated one of the first orbits of Pluto 11 Sep 2024 Brinton Henry Brinton, NASA administrator instrumental in Pluto studies — Burney Venetia Burney, who proposed the name of Pluto 8 Aug 2017 Coradini Angioletta Coradini, Italian planetary scientist 27 May 2022 Coughlin Thomas Boyd Coughlin, American mechanical and space engineer, first project manager of the New Horizons mission 3 Jan 2020 EdgeworthOriginally K. Edgeworth crater. Kenneth Edgeworth, Irish astronomer who posited the Kuiper Belt 3 Feb 2021 Elliot James L. Elliot, discoverer of Pluto's atmosphere 8 Aug 2017 Farinella Paolo Farinella, Italian astronomer 11 Sep 2024 Gibson William C. Gibson, Original Science Payload Manager for the New Horizons mission 8 Jan 2025 Giclas Henry L. Giclas, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory 8 Jan 2025 Guest John Guest, British volcanologist and planetary scientist — H. Smith Harlan Smith, astronomer and director of McDonald Observatory — Hardaway Lisa Hardaway, American aerospace engineer and program manager for the RALPH telescope on New Horizons 5 Aug 2020 Hardie Robert H. Hardie, American astronomer, co-discoverer of Pluto's 6.4-day rotation period 3 Jan 2020 Hollis Andrew Hollis, British astronomer —IsakowitzMatthew Isakowitz, Aerospace engineer who significantly contributed to commercial spaceflight, and was an intern working for the New Horizons mission— Khare Bishun Khare, Indian-American chemist specialized in planetary atmospheres, studied tholins extensively 30 May 2019 KiladzeOriginally had the informal name "Pulfrich crater" before it received its official name. Pulfrich is now the name of a crater near the Plutonian north pole. Rolan Kiladze, Georgian astronomer who investigated the dynamics, astrometry, and photometry of Pluto 30 May 2019 Kowal Charles T. Kowal, American astronomer who discovered the first centaur 7 May 2020 Oort Jan Oort, Dutch astronomer who posited the Oort Cloud 3 Feb 2021OwenTobias Owen, whose pioneering work on the origin and composition of planetary atmospheres and comets was revolutionary, along with playing a critical role in several NASA and ESA missions, such as Viking, Voyager, Galileo, Rosetta, Cassini-Huygens, and Juno. Owen was also the chairperson of the Task Group for Outer Solar System Nomenclature.— Pulfrich"Pulfrich Crater" was originally the informal name for what is now Kiladze Crater Carl Pulfrich, German physicist who developed the blink-comparator used to discover Pluto 5 Aug 2020 Simonelli Damon Simonelli, American astronomer and Pluto geologist 30 May 2019 Zagar Damon Francesco, Italian astronomer who carried out early studies of the orbit of Pluto 5 Aug 2020

Dorsa

A dorsum is a ridge. Plutonian dorsa are named after underworlds in mythology. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team. Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.

Feature Named after Approval Pandemonium Dorsa Pandæmonium, the capital of Hell in the poems of John Milton — Tartarus Dorsa Tartarus, the pit of hell in Greek mythology 8 Aug 2017

Faculae A facula is a bright spot on the surface of a planet. Plutonian faculae are named after underworld creatures from mythology. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team. Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.

Feature Named after Approval Supay Facula Supay, spirit who lived in the underworld in Quechua, Aymara, and Incan mythologies —

Fluctūs

A fluctus is a terrain covered by outflow of liquid. Plutonian fluctūs are named after travellers to the underworld. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team. Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.

Feature Named after Approval Dionysus Fluctus The god Dionysus from Greek mythology, who travels to Hades (the underworld) to bring the playwright Euripides back — Mpobe Fluctus Mpobe from Baganda mythology, a hero who willingly enters the underground world — Pere Porter Fluctus is the character of a 16th-17th century moral novel who travels to hell — Xanthias Fluctus Xanthias from Greek mythology, the slave who joins Dionysus on his travel to the underworld —

Fossae

A fossa is a ditch-like feature. Plutonian fossae are named after figures associated with underworld myths. The following is a list of official and unofficial names chosen by the New Horizons team. Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.

Feature Named after Approval Beatrice Fossa Beatrice, visits hell and asks Virgil to guide Dante in Dante's Inferno 3 Feb 2021 Djanggawul Fossae Djanggawul, Yolngu creation figures from the Island of the Dead 8 Aug 2017 Dumuzi Fossa Dumuzi, Sumerian fertility god who replaced his wife Inanna in the underworld 3 Feb 2021 Hermod Fossae Hermod, son of Odin, who rode the horse Sleipnir into the underworld to retrieve his brother Balder 25 Sep 2019 Inanna Fossa Inanna, Sumerian goddess who descended to the underworld 3 Feb 2021 Kaknú Fossa Kaknú, legendary Ohlone hero who travelled to the underworld to battle Wiwe. He resembled a peregrine falcon. 12 Aug 2019 Mwindo Fossae Mwindo, legendary Nyanga hero who travelled to the underworld 30 May 2019 Sleipnir Fossa Sleipnir, the steed Odin rides to the underworld 8 Aug 2017 Sun Wukong Fossa Sun Wukong, the Chinese Monkey King who went to Hell — Uncama Fossa Uncama, Zulu tale hero who followed a porcupine underground and came upon the village of dead souls 3 Jan 2020 Virgil Fossae Virgil, Dante's guide through Hell and Purgatory in The Divine Comedy 8 Aug 2017

Labyrinthi

A labyrinthus is a complex of intersecting valleys or ridges. Plutonian labyrinthi are named after gods of the underworld. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team. Xolotl Labyrinthus does not appear in later versions of this source, and is not an approved feature. Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.

Feature Named after Approval Xolotl Labyrinthus Xolotl, god of fire, lightning, and death in Aztec mythology —

Lacūs

A lacus is a small plain, derived from the word . The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team. Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.

Feature Named after Approval Alcyonia Lacus Lerna, also known as the Alcyonian Lake, was an entry to the netherworld in Greek mythology. 30 May 2019

Lineae

A linea is an elongated marking. Plutonian lineae are named after space probes. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team. Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.

Feature Named after Approval Chandrayaan Linea Chandrayaan program, a series of Indian lunar probes (2008-present) 11 Apr 2023 Hiten Linea Hiten, the first Japanese lunar probe (1990) 11 Apr 2023 Luna Linea Luna program, a series of Soviet lunar probes (1959–1976), including the first man-made object to reach the Moon 11 Apr 2023 Surveyor Linea Surveyor program, a series of U.S. lunar probes (1966–1968) 11 Apr 2023 Yutu Linea Yutu, a series of Chinese lunar rovers (2013-present) 25 Apr 2023 Zond Linea Zond program, a series of Soviet space probes (1964–1970) 11 Apr 2023

Maculae

A macula is a dark spot. Plutonian maculae are named after underworld creatures from fiction and mythology. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team. Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.

Feature Named after Approval Cadejo Macula Cadejo, from Central American folklore — Hun-Came Macula One of the two leading Maya death gods from the Popol Vuh — Meng-po Macula Meng Po, the Chinese goddess of forgetfulness after death — Morgoth Macula Morgoth, a figure of evil in the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien — Vucub-Came Macula One of the two leading Maya death gods from the Popol Vuh —

Montes

A mons is a mountain. Plutonian montes (mountain ranges) are named after explorers and adventurers. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team. Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.

Feature Named after Approval Al-Idrisi Montes Muhammad al-Idrisi, medieval Almoravid explorer 8 Aug 2017 Baret MontesFormerly Baré Montes. Jeanne Baret, first woman to have completed circumnavigation voyage of the globe 26 Apr 2018 Coleman Mons Bessie Coleman, American aviator, first African-American woman and first Native American to hold a pilot license 2 Sep 2019 Elcano Montes Juan Sebastián Elcano, completed Magellan's circumnavigation after his death 30 May 2019 Hillary Montes Edmund Hillary, first to scale Mount Everest (with Tenzing Norgay) 8 Aug 2017 Piccard Mons Auguste Piccard, conducted measurements of the upper atmosphere using balloons to reach an altitude of 23 kilometers 30 May 2019 Pigafetta Montes Antonio Pigafetta, participated in Magellan's circumnavigation and wrote its only first-hand record 30 May 2019 Tabei Montes Junko Tabei, first woman to climb both Mount Everest and the Seven Summits 19 Nov 2019 Tenzing MontesFormerly Norgay Montes. Tenzing Norgay, first to scale Mount Everest (with Edmund Hillary) 8 Aug 2017 Wright Mons Wilbur and Orville Wright, built and flew the first successful airplane 30 May 2019 Zheng He Montes Zheng He, medieval Chinese explorer 3 Feb 2021

Paludes

A palus (literally ) is a small plain. Paludes on Pluto are named after historic explorers. The following is a list of names chosen by the New Horizons team. Names that have been officially approved are labeled as such.