Pluto mountain range named after Tenzing Norgay

Tenzing Montes and Hillary Montes are mountain ranges honouring Tenzing Norgay (1914-1986) and Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008), the Indian/Nepali Sherpa and New Zealand mountaineer, respectively, who were the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest and return safely, IAU, the internationally recognised authority for naming celestial bodies and their surface features, said in a statement. 

These are among the 14 geological features on the surface of Pluto which have been assigned names by the IAU. “We’re very excited to approve names recognising people of significance to Pluto and the pursuit of exploration as well as the mythology of the underworld. These names highlight the importance of pushing to the frontiers of discovery,” said Rita Schulz, Chair of the IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature in the Netherlands. The names pay homage to the underworld mythology, pioneering space missions, historic pioneers who crossed new horizons in exploration, and scientists and engineers associated with Pluto and the Kuiper Belt.