The Universe Asked, Malta Delivered: Meet Ġgantija, The Newest Planet On The Block
Malta was given the chance to name both a planet and its star a few months ago and the shortlisted names were released soon after. The final results are now in and we can confirm the name of our universe’s newest gas giant:
The planet will now forever be known as Ġgantija and its accompanying star will be named Sansuna.
Both names are associated with the megalithic temples of Ġgantija on the island of Gozo, Malta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Ġgantija means giantess: the megalithic temple complex on the island of Gozo, alluding to the planet’s size as gas giant. Sansuna is the name of the mythological giant from traditional Maltese folk tales that carried the stones of the Gozo megalithic temples on her head.
If this ain’t the cutest little story of how the tiny Mediterranean colony of islands left its mark on the world you’ve ever heard then please take your negativity away from us. We’ll be here, waiting.