This is a list of craters on Venus, named by the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature. All craters on Venus are named after famous women or female first names. [1] [5] (For features on Venus other than craters see, list of montes on Venus and List of coronae on Venus. [6] )
As of 2017, there are 900 named craters on Venus, [1] fewer than the lunar and Martian craters but more than on Mercury. [2] [3] [4] [lower-alpha 1]
Other, non-planetary bodies with numerous named craters include Callisto (141), Ganymede (131), Rhea (128), Vesta (90), Ceres (90), Dione (73), Iapetus (58), Enceladus (53), Tethys (50) and Europa (41). For a full list, see List of craters in the Solar System .
Crater | Coordinates | Diameter (km) | Approval Year | Eponym | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Qarlygha | 33°00′S162°54′E / 33°S 162.9°E | 9.3 | 1997 | Kazakh first name. | WGPSN |
Quimby | 5°42′S76°42′E / 5.7°S 76.7°E | 23.2 | 1997 | Harriet Quimby, American aviator (1884–1912). | WGPSN |
Qulzhan | 23°30′N165°24′E / 23.5°N 165.4°E | 7.9 | 1997 | Kazakh first name. | WGPSN |
Quslu | 6°12′N166°48′E / 6.2°N 166.8°E | 8.7 | 1997 | Kazakh first name. | WGPSN |
Crater | Coordinates | Diameter (km) | Approval Year | Eponym | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Xantippe | 10°54′S11°48′E / 10.9°S 11.8°E | 40.4 | 1991 | Xanthippe, the wife of Socrates. | WGPSN |
Xenia | 30°18′S110°36′W / 30.3°S 110.6°W | 13.5 | 1997 | Greek first name | WGPSN |
Xi Wang | 14°N152°W / 14°N 152°W | 7.7 | 1997 | Chinese first name | WGPSN |
Xiao Hong | 43°30′S101°42′E / 43.5°S 101.7°E | 38.7 | 1991 | Xiao Hong, Chinese novelist (1911–1942) | WGPSN |
Ximena | 68°12′S116°24′W / 68.2°S 116.4°W | 12.8 | 1997 | Portuguese first name | WGPSN |
Crater | Coordinates | Diameter (km) | Approval Year | Eponym | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lorelei | – | 243.9 | 1997 | Dropped. German first name. | WGPSN |
Planetary nomenclature, like terrestrial nomenclature, is a system of uniquely identifying features on the surface of a planet or natural satellite so that the features can be easily located, described, and discussed. Since the invention of the telescope, astronomers have given names to the surface features they have discerned, especially on the Moon and Mars. To found an authority on planetary nomenclature, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) was organized in 1919 to designate and standardize names for features on Solar System bodies.
Petrarch is a crater on Mercury. This crater is located within the distorted terrain on the opposite side of the planet from the Caloris Basin. It was named after Petrarch, the medieval Italian poet, by the IAU in 1976.
Stokes is an impact crater on Mars, located on the Martian Northern plains at 55.9°N latitude and 188.8°W longitude. It measures approximately 62.74 kilometres (38.98 mi) in diameter and was named after Irish-born physicist George Gabriel Stokes (1819–1903). The crater's name was officially adopted by IAU's Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature in 1973.
Zola is a crater on Mercury. The crater was named after the French novelist and playwright Émile Zola by the IAU in 1979.
Mariko is an impact crater on Venus. In 1997 it was named for a common female Japanese first name, in accordance with planetary nomenclature rules for Venusian craters under 20 km in diameter.
Mons is a mountain on a celestial body. The term is used in planetary nomenclature: it is a part of the international names of such features. It is capitalized and usually stands after the proper given name, but stands before it in the case of lunar mountains.
Collis is a small hill or knob on a celestial body. The term is used in planetary nomenclature: it is a part of international proper names of such features. Like other generic terms, it is capitalized and stands after the proper name. As of 2015, only groups of the hills have names, and the term is used only in plural.
Agnesi is a crater on the planet Venus. It was named after Maria Gaetana Agnesi, an Italian mathematician; Venusian craters are named after notable women. The crater was named by the International Astronomical Union's Working Group on Planetary System Nomenclature in 1991. It is located at 39.4 degrees south and 37.7 degrees east. The crater is 42.4 kilometers in diameter.
PateraPAT-ər-ə is an irregular crater, or a complex crater with scalloped edges on a celestial body. Paterae can have any origin, although the majority of them were created by volcanism. The term comes from Latin, where it refers to a shallow bowl used in antique cultures.