Venetia Burney

A Starry Name for a Little Girl

Venetia Burney, later known as Venetia Phair, was born on July 11, 1918, in England. She grew up to be an accountant and teacher, but she is best remembered for something she did when she was just 11 years old.

When Venetia was a little girl, her grandfather told her about a new object found far away in the sky. Venetia thought of a wonderful name for it: Pluto. Pluto is named after a Roman god who could make himself invisible. Astronomers liked her idea a lot, and soon Pluto became the name for this special object.

Helping Pluto Find Its Name

Venetia's idea helped Clyde Tombaugh, the astronomer who found Pluto, choose its name. Because of her, Pluto became one of the most famous objects in our solar system. Even when scientists later called Pluto a dwarf planet, Venetia’s name idea stayed important.

Venetia lived a long life and passed away in 2009, but she will always be remembered for helping to name Pluto.