 | |
| Planet | Mercury |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 69°11′S60°16′W / 69.18°S 60.26°W |
| Quadrangle | Bach |
| Diameter | 67 km |
| Eponym | Carl Spitteler |
Spitteler is a crater on Mercury. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1976. It is named for the Swiss epic poet Carl Spitteler. [1]
Spitteler is one of the largest craters of the Kuiperian system on Mercury. The largest is Bartók crater. [2]
To the southwest of Spitteler is the crater Camões, and to the north is Holberg. To the east is Horace.
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.
Rodin is an impact crater on the planet Mercury, 230 kilometers in diameter. The rim is even and circular, except where it is broken in two places toward the north and south. It is named for the French sculptor Auguste Rodin. Its name was approved by the International Astronomical Union in 1976.
Tir Planitia is a large plain on the planet Mercury. The name Tir (تیر) is the Persian word for "Mercury",, and the name was approved in 1976. It was first observed in detail by Mariner 10. It lies between the large crater Mozart and the ancient Tolstoj basin.
Kuiper is a moderate-size crater with a central peak cluster located at 11.35°S 31.23°W on Mercury. It is 62 kilometers in diameter and was named after Dutch-American astronomer Gerard Kuiper in 1976. It is one of only 2 Mercurian craters which are named not after artists, and one of very few cases when the same name is used for 3 craters. Gerard Kuiper, being a leader of American planetary science, died shortly before the first images of Mercurian surface were made.
Homer is a crater on Mercury. It is one of 110 peak ring basins on Mercury.
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.
Amaral is a crater on the planet Mercury. With its smooth floor, surrounding ejecta, and small secondary craters, it appears noticeably younger than the heavily cratered surface around it. Along with a smooth crater floor, Amaral also has a central peak. Bright material on this peak is of particular interest as it appears to have an unusual color. In color-enhanced images, the central peak of Amaral appears as a bright blue color in striking contrast to the otherwise orange tones of surface material nearby. The different color of the central peak likely indicates rocks with different chemical composition from those on the neighboring surface.
Hokusai is a rayed impact crater on Mercury, which was discovered in 1991 by ground-based radar observations conducted at Goldstone Observatory. The crater was initially known as feature B. Its appearance was so dissimilar to other impact craters that it was once thought to be a shield volcano. However improved radar images by the Arecibo Observatory obtained later in 2000–2005 clearly showed that feature B is an impact crater with an extensive ray system. The bright appearance of rays in the radio images indicates that the crater is geologically young; fresh impact ejecta has a rough surface, which leads to strong scattering of radio waves.
Debussy is a rayed impact crater on Mercury, which was discovered in 1969 by low resolution ground-based radar observations obtained by the Goldstone Observatory. Later in 1990–2005 it was imaged in more detail by the Arecibo Observatory. The crater was initially known as the feature A. The bright appearance of rays in the radar images indicates that the crater is geologically young, because fresh and rough surfaces of young impact craters are good scatterers of radio waves.
De Graft is a crater on Mercury. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 2009, after Ghanaian playwright, poet, and novelist Joe de Graft.
Balzac is a crater on Mercury. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1976. Balzac is named for the French writer Honoré de Balzac, who lived from 1799 to 1850.
Bartók is a crater on Mercury. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1979. Bartók is named for the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók, who lived from 1881 to 1945.
Camões is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 70 kilometers. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1976. Camoes is named for the Portuguese poet Luís de Camões, who lived from 1524 to 1580.
Futabatei is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 57 kilometers. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1976. Futabatei is named for the Japanese novelist Futabatei Shimei, who lived from 1864 to 1909.
Holberg is a crater on Mercury. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1976. Holberg is named for the Dano-Norwegian writer Ludvig Holberg, who lived from 1684 to 1754.
Horace is a crater on Mercury. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1976. Horace is named for the Ancient Roman poet Horace, who lived from 65 BCE to 8 BCE.
Tyagaraja is a crater on Mercury. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1976. Tyagaraja is named for the Indian composer Tyagaraja.
Erté is a crater on Mercury. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2013. It is named for the artist and designer known as Erté.
Seuss is a crater on Mercury. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2012. It is named for the American author and cartoonist Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss.
Larrocha is an impact crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 196 km (122 mi), and it is one of 110 peak ring basins on Mercury. It is located in the Victoria quadrangle at 43.29°N 69.83°W.
