Heavenly Names

"The Moon, the Sun, the Earth," or "the moon, the sun, the earth"? The solar eclipse this week had many confused about the capitalization of these heavenly bodies. See if you know.

What's the correct way to capitalize the three heavenly bodies involved in this week's eclipse, according to Associated Press style?

1. moon, sun, earth

2. Moon, sun, Earth

3. moon, sun, Earth

4. Moon, Sun, Earth

And the answer is option three, "moon, sun, and Earth.” In Associated Press style, the names of specific heavenly bodies, such as planets, stars, and constellations, are capitalized, but not generic names for nearby heavenly bodies, such as what we call the Earth's moon and sun. Now you're all set to write about the next eclipse.