Name origin: The branch of mathematics (lit. ‘measuring the Earth’), which has greatly expanded since the late 19th century after the discovery of non-Euclidean geometries and the growth of symmetry as a concept.
Named for Brünn, now Brno, Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and is currently the second-largest city in the Czech Republic after Prague.
Nausikaä was the young daughter of Alcinous and Arete in the Odyssey; she meets the shipwrecked Odysseus and aids him. She may afterwards have married his son Telemachus, and possibly had sons by him or by Odysseus himself.
Baukis and Philemon were a poor elderly couple who were blessed by Zeus and Hermes after showing them hospitality while disguised as peasants. Richer folk in the town had turned the gods away. In consequence, Zeus flooded the rest of the town and turned the simple cottage into an ornate temple.
Name origin: Toulouse in France, where the asteroid was discovered. Schmadel says the city was celebrated for the cultivation of the sciences; it is home to one of the oldest universities in Europe (founded in 1229) and several prestigious higher education schools, most notably in aerospace engineering.
Sappho (c.630-570 BCE) was an ancient Greek lyric poet and musician from the island of Lesbos. Widely regarded as an outstanding writer, she was called the Tenth Muse; sadly, much of her work, in total estimated at around 10,000 lines, has been lost. Her poetry is still influential today.
Zeus ordered Ekho to protect him when he was dallying with her fellow nymphs. She did this by engaging his wife Hera in chat when about to discover her husband’s infidelity. As punishment, Hera cursed Ekho by only allowing her to repeat another’s words. Afterwards, Ekho fell in love with the mortal Narcissus, who spurned her. He wasted away pining for his own reflection, and she eventually did the same in mourning for him.
Name origin: Greek Muse of astronomy and astronomical writings. Ourania was often depicted pointing at a celestial globe with a rod. The astrological symbol represents compass calipers.
Name origin: Greek Muse of lyric poetry. Euterpe’s attribute was the double flute. Her name is derived from two Greek words meaning “giver of much delight.”
