Mountains on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, were named after JRR Tolkien’s works in 2012. Mount Doom, Mount Erebor, and Misty Montes are among the named peaks.
The planets of our solar system are named after Greek and Roman deities, and this mythological naming convention has extended to distant geological features as well. On Venus, for example, the mountains, craters and valleys are named after various goddesses, including those of love, luck and fertility. When it came time to name the mountains of Titan, Saturn’s largest, ice-covered moon, in 2012, the International Astronomical Union approved a set of names for Titan taken from The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and other works by JRR Tolkien.
Titan’s mountains have a familiar sound to them:
Mount Doom is the Tolkien-inspired name given to one of Titan’s most prominent peaks. The detailed mapping of the moon took place during the mission of the Cassini space probe.
You may also find Mount Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, where Bilbo and his companions traveled in The Hobbit.
Tolkien fans will also recognize Misty Montes as the Misty Mountains, as well as the Mountains of Moria, under which the dwarves inadvertently released the demonic Balrog.
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