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Re:Russians Desperately Try to Save Mars Moon Probe by iaskwhy on Wednesday November 09, 2011 @05:35PM (#3217825)
I'd prefer if headlines weren't capitalised. The Moon is pretty unique, it's Earth's moon.
Re:Russians Desperately Try to Save Mars Moon Probe by jey on Wednesday November 09, 2011 @07:59PM (#3218332)
But then why do you call it "Earth" instead of "Planet"?
Re:Russians Desperately Try to Save Mars Moon Probe by hugh3 on Wednesday November 09, 2011 @11:02PM (#3218812)
Mostly because we'd had the words "Earth" and "Planet" for a helluva long time before we realised that the Earth was a planet.

The sense of "Earth" which came first was the sense of "soil", so our planet is really just called "Soil". It's interesting to think about the process by which our ancestors figured out that "earth" wasn't just the substance underneath their feet, it was also a place.

Re:Russians Desperately Try to Save Mars Moon Probe by cpeterso on Wednesday November 09, 2011 @09:29PM (#3218583)
I often wonder if we'll ever get to call Earth "Terra" like they do TV. ;)
Re:Russians Desperately Try to Save Mars Moon Probe by Tloewald on Wednesday November 09, 2011 @09:42PM (#3218629)
Terra was something the golden age SF writers settled on. It's from the same source (Latin) as the names of the planets and Sol.

Terra is to Earth as Sol is to Sun.

Re:Russians Desperately Try to Save Mars Moon Probe by iaskwhy on Thursday November 10, 2011 @06:12AM (#3219701)
I actually call it Terra. And Sol. And Lua. But that's because I'm Portuguese. :)