![]() MESSENGER NAC | |
Planet | Mercury |
---|---|
Coordinates | 37°41′S28°13′W / 37.68°S 28.22°W |
Quadrangle | Discovery |
Diameter | 103.0 km (64.0 mi) |
Eponym | Thomas Mofolo |
Mofolo is a crater on Mercury. [1] Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1976. Mofolo is named for the Basotho writer Thomas Mofolo, who lived from 1876 or 1877 to 1948. [2]
To the north of Mofolo is Petrarch crater and the "weird terrain" that is antipodal to the Caloris basin. To the west is Neumann crater, and to the southwest is Equiano.
Mare Tranquillitatis is a lunar mare that sits within the Tranquillitatis basin on the Moon. It is the first location on another celestial body to be visited by humans.
Olaudah Equiano, known for most of his life as Gustavus Vassa, was a writer and abolitionist. According to his memoir, he was from the village of Essaka in modern southern Nigeria. Enslaved as a child in West Africa, he was shipped to the Caribbean and sold to a Royal Navy officer. He was sold twice more before purchasing his freedom in 1766.
Thomas Mokopu Mofolo is considered the greatest Basotho author. He wrote mostly in the Sesotho language, but his most popular book, Chaka, has been translated into English and other languages.
Archimedes is a large lunar impact crater on the eastern edges of the Mare Imbrium. Its diameter is 81 km.
Degas is a rayed crater on Mercury at latitude 37.5 N, longitude 127 W. Its diameter is 54 kilometres (34 mi). It was named after the French impressionist painter Edgar Degas in 1979. The rays consist of light colored material blasted out during the crater's formation. Craters older than Degas are covered by the ray material, while younger craters are seen superimposed on the rays. Degas forms a crater pair with Brontë to the north. Both lie near the center of Sobkou Planitia.
Cerberus is a large "dark spot" located on Mars and named after the mythical dog Cerberus. The arcuate (curved) markings in the upper right are in the Amazonis plains and may be sand drifts. The volcano Elysium Mons, a yellow area north of Cerberus, has several channels radiating from its flanks. The three bright spots, upper left, are volcanoes partially veiled by thin clouds.
Equiano may refer to :
Cassini is a crater on Mars named in honour of the Italian astronomer Giovanni Cassini. The name was approved in 1973, by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature.
Schubert is a crater on Mercury. It was named after Franz Schubert, a famous Austrian composer, by the IAU in 1976.
Von Neumann may refer to:
Mozart is a crater on Mercury, named by the IAU in 1976 after Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Dickens is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 78 kilometers. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1976. Dickens is named for the English novelist Charles Dickens, who lived from 1812 to 1870.
Equiano is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 102 kilometers. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1976. Equiano is named for the abolitionist writer Olaudah Equiano, who lived from 1750 to 1797.
Han Kan is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 50 kilometers. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1985. Han Kan is named for the Chinese painter Han Gan, who lived from 720 to 780.
Judah Ha-Levi is a crater on Mercury. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1976. Judah Ha-Levi is named for the Spanish-Jewish poet and philosopher Judah Ha-Levi, who lived from 1075 to 1141.
Liang Kʻai is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 140 kilometers. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1979. Liang Kʻai is named for the Chinese artist Liang Kai, who lived from 1140 to 1210.
Neumann is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 120 kilometers. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1976. Neumann is named for the German architect Johann Balthasar Neumann, who lived from 1687 to 1753.
Prokofiev is a crater near the north pole of the planet Mercury, named after the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. Data from the MESSENGER spacecraft indicates that it contains water ice and organic compounds. Although other craters in Mercury's north polar region are also believed to contain ice, Prokofiev is the largest of them, with probable surface ice along the southern crater floor that is in perpetual darkness.
The upper plains unit is the remnants of a 50-100 meter thick mantling that has been discovered in the mid-latitudes of the planet Mars. It was first investigated in the Deuteronilus Mensae region, but it occurs in other places as well. The remnants consist of sets of dipping layers in impact craters, in depressions, and along mesas. Sets of dipping layers may be of various sizes and shapes—some look like Aztec pyramids from Central America.
Carolan is a crater on Mercury. Its name was suggested by an Irishman, Fergal Donnelly, and two Americans, Joseph Brusseau and Deane Morrison, in a naming contest which was eventually adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) on 2015. Carolan is named for the Irish composer and performer Turlough O'Carolan, who lived from 1670 to 1738 C.E. The craters Kulthum, Enheduanna, Karsh, and Rivera were also named as part of the contest.