Feb 28, 2014 06:53 AM EST
Name a Mars Crater for Just $5 Through Uwingu Project

Starting this week, anyone with an internet connection and a couple bucks can now name one of Mars' 500,000 unnamed craters, as part of a mapping project run by Uwingu.

"This is the first people's map of Mars, where anybody can play," said Uwingu CEO Alan Stern, a former NASA science chief, according to Space.com. "It's a very social thing."

The cost of naming a crater all depends on the size. The lowest amount it will set you back is $5, according to Uwingu.

Money earned from the project, which is expected to reach at least $10 million if people name every crater on the Red Planet, will fund grants in space exploration, education, and research.

"We're developing this grant fund, the Uwingu fund, for people who've been hit by sequestration," Stern said. "There's nothing like it right now. They have no place to go; it's either NASA, NSF (the National Science Foundation) or you're out of luck."

Click here to learn more or to buy a crater name yourself.

Stern added that he hopes all craters will be named by the end of 2014, which would help "fill in a lot of gaps in Red Planet cartography," according to Space.com.

Uwingu hopes to have names for other Mars features in the future, like canyons and mountains.

"It's like taking a picture of ourselves," Stern said. "What will people put? Will there be a lot of craters named for politicians? For artists, for relatives, for places on Earth? Sports teams?"

The project is not a contest however, running on a first-come, first-served bases. Names are accepted of denied immediately, and will remain "Approved," unless Uwingu officials determine it is too offensive at a later date.

The 15,000 Red Planet features that are already named and have been approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) will be "grandfathered into Uwingu's map," according to Space.com.

See Now: OnePlus 6: How Different Will It Be From OnePlus 5?

 PREVIOUS POST
NEXT POST 

EDITOR'S PICK    

Hyundai to Invest $16.1 Billion for EV Business; Sets Annual Sales Goal of 1.87M Electric Cars by 2030

World's Most Expensive and Most Heavily-optioned Porsche 928 GTS is Coming Home to the U.S.

Major Boost as Tesla Giga Berlin Facility in Final Phase of Approval Process; Delivery Event Set This Month

Audi Looking for e-tron Electric Vehicles to Spur Car Brand's Growth in India in 2022

Toyota Offers Free EV Charging to Owners of 2023 bZ4X After Partnership Agreement with EVgo

2022 Suzuki Baleno Finally Unveiled in India: What are the Specs and Features of this City Car?