Molière (crater)
Oblique Mariner 10 image of Molière | |
| Feature type | Impact crater |
|---|---|
| Location | Kuiper quadrangle, Mercury |
| Coordinates | 15°24′N 17°43′W / 15.40°N 17.71°W |
| Diameter | 139 km (86 mi) |
| Eponym | Jean Baptiste Poquelin |
Molière is an impact crater on the planet Mercury. The crater was first imaged by Mariner 10 in 1974.[1] The nearly circular rim of the crater is cut off into a flat edge on its southern and southwestern ends, and on its eastern side the rim is indented by a smaller crater.
The crater is named for the 17th-century French dramatist and satirist Molière. The name was approved by the International Astronomical Union in 1976.[2][3]
It is located south of the crater Rodin, southeast of the crater Abu Nuwas, and northeast of the crater Aśvaghoṣa.
Views
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MESSENGER mosaic of Molière crater
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Molière crater at a high sun angle. The crater is barely distinguishable due to lack of shadows. The southern rim is in the lower left corner.
References
- ^ Davies, M. E.; Dwornik, S. E.; Gault, D. E.; Strom, R. G. (1978). Atlas of Mercury. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. ISBN 978-1-114-27448-8. Special Publication SP-423.
- ^ "Planetary Nomenclature: Molière". USGS Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- ^ NASA World Wind 1.4. NASA Ames Research Center, 2007.