4947 Ninkasi
Encyclopedia
4947 Ninkasi is an Amor asteroid
discovered on October 12, 1988 by C. S. Shoemaker at Palomar
.
It was named after Ninkasi
, the Sumerian goddess of wine and beer, who helped the god Lugalbanda
rescue the tablets of fate from the demon Zu
.
Amor asteroid
The Amor asteroids are a group of near-Earth asteroids named after the asteroid 1221 Amor. They approach the orbit of the Earth from beyond, but do not cross it. Most Amors do cross the orbit of Mars...
discovered on October 12, 1988 by C. S. Shoemaker at Palomar
Palomar Observatory
Palomar Observatory is a privately owned observatory located in San Diego County, California, southeast of Pasadena's Mount Wilson Observatory, in the Palomar Mountain Range. At approximately elevation, it is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology...
.
It was named after Ninkasi
Ninkasi
Ninkasi is the ancient Sumerian matron goddess of the intoxicating beverage, beer.Her father was Enki, the lord Nudimmud, and her mother was Ninti, the queen of the Abzu. She is also one of the eight children created in order to heal one of the eight wounds that Enki receives. Furthermore, she is...
, the Sumerian goddess of wine and beer, who helped the god Lugalbanda
Lugalbanda
Lugalbanda is a character found in Sumerian mythology and literature. His name is composed of two Sumerian words meaning "young king" . Lugalbanda is listed in the postdiluvian period of the Sumerian king list as the second king of Uruk, saying he ruled for 1,200 years, and providing him with the...
rescue the tablets of fate from the demon Zu
Zu (mythology)
Zu, also known as Anzu and Imdugud, in Persian and Sumerian, is a lesser divinity of Akkadian mythology, and the son of the bird goddess Siris. He is also said to be conceived by the pure waters of the Apsu-gods and the wide Earth...
.