There are currently 13 planets that start with M. Two of them are Mercury and Mars in our Solar system and the other 11 are exoplanets found in other star systems. The organization in charge of naming these planets is the International Astronomical Union.
Unlike stars and constellations whose names come mostly from Greek mythology or Arabic words, planets get their names from many different cultures.
Here’s what each of the columns in the table means:
Planet: Name of the planet or exoplanet. Exoplanets are outside the Solar system and only a few of them receive proper names. Every few years the International Astronomical Union opens a contest to suggest names for newly discovered ones.
Star: The proper name and/or scientific designation of the star the planet orbits. Most of the stars with planets that receive proper names also get one.
Distance: Approximate distance from our Solar system to the star that hosts the planet. It is given in light-years.
Discovery: Year of discovery of the planet.
Meaning: Origin of the name of the planet.
| Planet | Star | Distance | Discovery | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madalitso | Natasha (HD 85390) | 111 | 2009 | “blessings” in the Nyanja language (Zambia, Mozambique) |
| Madriu | Arcalís (HD 131496) | 359 | 2011 | Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site |
| Maeping | Chaophraya (WASP-50) | 750 | 2011 | Ping River in Thailand |
| Magor | Hunor (HAT-P-2) | 385 | 2007 | Ancestor of the Magyars in Hungarian mythology |
| Majriti | Titawin (Upsilon Andromedae) | 44 | 1999 | Muslim astronomer |
| Makropulos | Absolutno (XO-5) | 832 | 2008 | Character in the works of Czech playwright Karel Čapek |
| Mars | Sun | 0 | Roman equivalent of the Greek god Ares | |
| Mastika | Gumala (HD 179949) | 88 | 2000 | “gem/jewel” in Malay (Indonesia, Malasya, Singapore) |
| Melquíades | Macondo (HD 93083) | 94 | 2005 | Character from the novel Cien años de soledad by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez |
| Mercury | Sun | 0 | Roman equivalent of the Greek god Hermes | |
| Meztli | Tonatiuh (HD 104985) | 333 | 2003 | Aztec god of the moon and the night |
| Mintome | Itonda (HD 208487) | 147 | 2004 | Fang word for a mythical land where a brotherhood of brave men live (Ecuatorial Guinea, Gabon) |
| Mulchatna | Nushagak (HD 17156) | 255 | 2007 | Mulchatna River in southwestern Alaska |
This list does not include minor planets and planetoids as those are generally just named by using the last name of the person who discovered them.
Find more planet names with the letter: