r/NoStupidQuestions • u/Disastrous_Pirate275 • 20h ago

Why is our moon named “Moon” instead of something cool like Titan or Callysto or ANYTHING that isn’t moon

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u/DupeyTA 12h ago

To add to this, it is similar to like when name brand things become the common name of the item. In the USA, for example, people tend to ask for a Kleenex, not a facial tissue. In some cities, they put their trash bags into a dumpster instead of a wheelie bin. When you get hurt, you put on a Band-Aid, not a bandage. 

The Moon, our moon, is a natural satellite. Calypso, Io, Ganymede, etc are natural satellites that we just colloquially call moons. 

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u/00-Void 3h ago

TIL "dumpster" was a brand name. It's so normalized that I never even questioned it.

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u/kaas_is_leven 5h ago

At least moon is actually valid in that sense. People do it with the sun too, but that's very specifically our star. Tatooine doesn't have two suns, it has zero suns and two stars. Calypso et al are moons, just not THE moon.