In my astronomy class I give a handout of planet symbols, where they came
from, and what they mean. Kids always are curious. For example, Mars was
named for the Roman god of war. The symbol is a circle with an arrow,
indicating a shield and spear. I have a few questions.
1. What was Earth named for? Was it Gaea -- the Earth goddess? The symbol
is a circle divided into four parts. Do they stand for earth, air, fire,
and water?
2. What was the Sun named for? Its symbol is a circle with a dot in the
center. What does it mean?