Sanai (crater)

Last updated
Sanai
Sanai crater MESSENGER WAC.jpg
MESSENGER WAC mosaic
Planet Mercury
Coordinates 13°22′S6°59′W / 13.37°S 6.99°W / -13.37; -6.99
Quadrangle Kuiper
Diameter 490 km (300 mi)
Eponym Sanai of Ghazna

Sanai is a large, ancient crater on Mercury. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 2014, after the Persian poet, Sanai of Ghazna. [1]

The crater, or basin, has prominent radial troughs to the northeast (similar to Imbrium sculpture on the moon), and it is floor is covered with smooth plains. Prior to naming, it was identified as b38. [2] It is Tolstojan in age. [3]

Hitomaro crater is to the southwest of Sanai, and the crater Dvorák is on its northwest rim.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Degas (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodin (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bach (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

Bach is a double-ringed impact basin within the Bach quadrangle of Mercury. It was named by the IAU in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelangelo (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

Michelangelo is a 230 km diameter impact basin in the Michelangelo quadrangle of Mercury, which is named after this crater. The crater itself was named by the IAU in 1979 after the Italian painter, sculptor and architect Michelangelo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vyāsa (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

Vyāsa is a crater on Mercury. It was named by the IAU in 1979, after the Indian poet Vyasa. It is Tolstojan in age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homer (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

Homer is a crater on Mercury. It is one of 110 peak ring basins on Mercury. It is Tolstojan in age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polygnotus (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

Polygnotus is a crater on Mercury, named by the IAU in 1976, after ancient Greek painter Polygnotus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hokusai (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De Graft (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derain (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

Derain is a crater on Mercury named after André Derain, a French artist, painter, sculptor and co-founder of Fauvism with Henri Matisse. It has uncommonly dark material within and surrounding the crater. The material is darker than the neighboring terrain such that this crater is easily identified even in a distant global image of Mercury. The dark halo may be material with a mineralogical composition different from the majority of Mercury's visible surface. Craters with similar dark material on or near their rims were seen on the floor of the Caloris basin during MESSENGER’s first flyby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balzac (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dostoevskij (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

Dostoevskij is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 430 kilometers. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1979. Dostoevskij is named for the Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky, who lived from 1821 to 1881. It is Tolstojan in age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dürer (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

Dürer is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 195 kilometers. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1976. Durer is named for the German artist Albrecht Dürer, who lived from 1471 to 1528.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Handel (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

Handel is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 166 kilometers. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1976. Handel is named for the British-German composer George Frideric Handel, who lived from 1685 to 1759.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kālidāsā (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

Kālidāsā is a crater on Mercury. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1976. Kalidasa is named for the Indian writer Kālidāsa, who lived in the 5th century CE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lysippus (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

Lysippus is a crater on Mercury. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1976. Lysippus is named for the Greek sculptor Lysippos, who lived in the 4th century BCE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holst (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

Holst is a crater on Mercury. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) on April 24, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellington (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

Ellington is a crater on Mercury named after Duke Ellington, an American composer, pianist, and leader of a jazz orchestra. It was named by the IAU in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aneirin (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

Aneirin is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 467 kilometers. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) on June 13, 2014. Aneirin is named for the Welsh poet Aneirin. Prior to naming, the crater was referred to as b37. It is Tolstojan in age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faulkner (crater)</span> Crater on Mercury

Faulkner is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 168 kilometres. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) on April 24, 2012. Faulkner is named for the American author William Faulkner.

References

  1. "Sanai". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. NASA . Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  2. Chapman, C. R., Baker, D. M. H., Barnouin, O. S., Fassett, C. I., Marchie, S., Merline, W. J., Ostrach, L. R., Prockter, L. M., and Strom, R. G., 2018. Impact Cratering of Mercury. In Mercury: The View After MESSENGER edited by Sean C. Solomon, Larry R. Nittler, and Brian J. Anderson. Cambridge Planetary Science. Chapter 9.
  3. Denevi, B. W., Ernst, C. M., Prockter, L. M., and Robinson, M. S., 2018. The Geologic History of Mercury. In Mercury: The View After MESSENGER edited by Sean C. Solomon, Larry R. Nittler, and Brian J. Anderson. Cambridge Planetary Science. Chapter 6, Table 6.3.