Which planet was named for the mythological father of Zeus?

This celestial body gets its name from the Roman god of agriculture, wealth, and time. In Roman mythology, this deity was the equivalent of the Greek Titan Cronus. According to the ancient myths, Cronus was the leader of the Titans and the father of the first generation of Olympian gods, which included Hestia, Hades, Poseidon, and most famously, Zeus. Appropriately, the largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter, is named for the Roman counterpart of Zeus, placing the mythological father and son as neighbors in the cosmos.

The story of this father-son relationship is a dramatic one. It was prophesied that Cronus would be overthrown by his own child, just as he had overthrown his father, Uranus. To prevent this, he swallowed each of his children as soon as they were born. His wife, Rhea, managed to save their youngest, Zeus, by tricking Cronus into swallowing a rock instead. Zeus grew up in secret and eventually returned to free his siblings and lead a successful rebellion against his father.

Ancient astronomers likely chose this name because of the planet's slow and steady movement across the night sky. Of the five planets visible to the naked eye in antiquity, this one has the longest orbital period, taking nearly 30 years to circle the sun. This stately, measured pace was seen as a fitting tribute to the ancient, deposed king of the gods and the deity who governed the passage of time.