The geology of Mercury is the scientific study of the surface, crust, and interior of the planet Mercury. It emphasizes the composition, structure, history, and physical processes that shape the planet. It is analogous to the field of terrestrial geology. In planetary science, the term geology is used in its broadest sense to mean the study of the solid parts of planets and moons. The term incorporates aspects of geophysics, geochemistry, mineralogy, geodesy, and cartography.
Eminescu is a peak ring crater on Mercury 125 kilometers (78 mi) in diameter. Since there are very few later craters superposed on it, Eminescu appears to be a young crater formed around one billion years ago. It has a transitional morphology between larger more complex impact basins like Raditladi and smaller simpler central peak craters.
Bashō is a crater on Mercury named after Matsuo Bashō, a 17th-century Japanese writer. Bashō crater is only 74.62 kilometers (46.37 mi) in diameter, but is a prominent feature on Mercury's surface, due to its bright rays. Photographs from NASA's Mariner 10 and MESSENGER spacecraft show a curious halo of dark material around the crater.
Atget crater is distinctive on the planet Mercury's surface due to its dark color. Atget crater is located within Caloris basin, near Apollodorus crater and Pantheon Fossae. The dark color of the floor of Atget is in contrast to other craters within Caloris basin that exhibit bright materials on their floors, such as the craters Kertész and Sander. Other craters on Mercury, such as Bashō and Neruda, have halos of dark material but the dark material does not cover the crater floors.
Praxiteles is a crater on Mercury. It is one of 110 peak ring basins on Mercury.
Raditladi is a large impact crater on Mercury with a diameter of 263 km. Inside its peak ring there is a system of concentric extensional troughs (graben), which are rare surface features on Mercury. The floor of Raditladi is partially covered by relatively light smooth plains, which are thought to be a product of the effusive volcanism. The troughs may also have resulted from volcanic processes under the floor of Raditladi. The basin is relatively young, probably younger than one billion years, with only a few small impact craters on its floor and with well-preserved basin walls and peak-ring structure. It is one of 110 peak ring basins on Mercury.
Titian is an impact crater on the planet Mercury.
Hemingway is a crater on Mercury. It has a patch of very dark material located near its center. The dark color is likely due to rocks that have a different mineralogical composition from that of the surrounding surface.
Dominici is a crater on Mercury. Dominici's bright rays indicate that it is relatively young, and the young rays appear light blue in enhanced-color images. Dominici also has bright material on its floor and is surrounded by crater ejecta and material that appears orange in enhanced color. These color differences, as in nearby Titian crater, suggest that the impact crater excavated material from beneath Mercury's surface that differs in composition from the surrounding surface. Dominici lies within a much larger impact structure, the Homer basin.
Al-Hamadhani is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 186 kilometers. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1979. Al-Hamadhani is named for the Iranian writer Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadani, who died in 1007 C.E.
Chaikovskij is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 171 kilometers. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1976. Chaikovskij is named for the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who lived from 1840 to 1893.
Darío is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 151 kilometers. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1976. Dario is named for the Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío, who lived from 1867 to 1916.
Geddes is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 84 kilometers. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2010. Geddes is named for the Irish stained glass artist Wilhelmina Geddes, who lived from 1887 to 1955.
Giotto is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 144 kilometers. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1976. Giotto is named for the Italian painter Giotto di Bondone, who lived from 1271 to 1377.
Hitomaro is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 105 kilometers. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1976. Hitomaro is named for the Japanese poet Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, who lived from the 650s to roughly 709.
Mistral is a crater on Mercury. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1976. Mistral is named for the Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral, who lived from 1889 to 1957.
Enheduanna is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 105 kilometers. Its name was suggested by Gagan Toor from India in a naming contest which was eventually adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) on 2015. Enheduanna is named for the Sumerian poet Enheduanna. The craters Carolan, Kulthum, Karsh, and Rivera were also named as part of the contest.
Hollows are a landform on the planet Mercury, discovered during the MESSENGER mission that orbited the planet from 2011 to 2015.
Donelaitis is a crater on Mercury. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) on May 15, 2013. Donelaitis is named for the Lithuanian poet Kristijonas Donelaitis.
Veronese is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 45 kilometres. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) on June 28, 2021. Veronese is named for the Italian painter Paolo Veronese.
