Category:Behind the WetNet

Why name the hero "Ceres Tauri?" Readers / fans have asked my this question at every event. I enjoyed Astronomy class at Portland State University, acheiving the top of clas rank with 105-110% of grade requirements, thanks to extra credit questions and papers. I love astronomy.

While there in the mid-80's, I had the idea to create a fictional character. I wanted him to be, not a Han Solo or James Bond exactly, but, what if those guys had a child? -well, a clone? Okay, a clone. In class of course I was reminded of the largest of the Asteroids, Ceres. Ceres comprises 1/3 of the mas of the known asteroids in the belt between Mars and Jupiter. Cool name.

I've had some challenege me that this planetoid is itself named after an ancient Roman goddess of fertility, of the farm/animal husbandry kind. I had designs on my hero's family owning asteroid Ceres, and his mother named him after the family planet. This is shown in chapter two of Ceres 2525, rather succinclty, I believe. So there's your answer: He is named after the planet his fmaily has owned for 500 years, not the goddess from 2000 years ago.

During my astronomy studies, we also learned of the "T-Tauri" class of stars. In a poetic nutshell, they are the surviving heart of a super nova. What better way to convey my hope that Ceres will survive whatever the galaxy throws at him no matter how impossible?