Venetia Burney

Venetia Katharine Douglas Burney, later known as Venetia Phair, was an English accountant and teacher. She lived from 11 July 1918 until 30 April 2009.

What makes her famous is that, when she was just 11 years old, she was the first person to suggest the name Pluto for a new object in the sky. This object was later discovered by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930 and became known as a dwarf planet.

Her suggestion was sent to an astronomer, and soon the name Pluto was chosen. Because of this, Venetia Burney became known around the world for helping give a name to one of the most famous objects in our solar system.

Biography

Venetia Burney was born on July 11, 1918. She was the granddaughter of Falconer Madan, who worked at the Bodleian Library of the University of Oxford. In March 1930, Madan told her about the discovery of a new planet that Clyde Tombaugh had found. Venetia suggested the name Pluto, after the Roman god who could make himself invisible. This idea was sent to astronomers, and they liked it because it started with the letters of Percival Lowell, who had predicted this planet. Soon after, Pluto became the official name.

Venetia grew up to study economics and became a chartered accountant. Later, she taught economics and mathematics at schools in London until she retired in the 1980s. She married Edward Maxwell Phair in 1947, and he passed away in 2006. Venetia died on April 30, 2009, at the age of 90. Even when scientists discussed changing Pluto’s status from a planet to a dwarf planet, she shared her thoughts about it in an interview.

Legacy

The asteroid 6235 Burney and a feature on Pluto called the Burney impact basin were named to honor Venetia Burney. In 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft visited Pluto and carried an instrument named the Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter in her memory. Scientists visited her home to give her special gifts to celebrate this.

A rock band from Massachusetts named The Venetia Fair chose their name after learning about Venetia Phair, especially after Pluto was classified as a dwarf planet.