Orson Welles (crater)

Orson Welles (crater)

Orson Welles, as seen by HiRISE. Layered, light-toned rocks seem to be under a dark mantling material. Layers may be sandstone, volcanic ash, or lakebed deposits.
Planet	Mars
Coordinates	0.2°S 45.9°W / -0.2; -45.9
Quadrangle	Coprates
Diameter	124.5 km
Eponym	Orson Welles

Orson Welles is an impact crater in the Coprates quadrangle of Mars, located at 0.2° S and 45.9° W. It is 124.5 kilometers in diameter and was named after Orson Welles (1915–1985), an American radio and motion picture actor and director. He is famous for, among other things, his radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells in which Martians invade Earth. The layers and the clay minerals found in Orson Welles Crater are evidence that it once contained a lake.

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  Map of Xanthe Terra showing location of Orson Welles Crater and other major features
• 
  Western side of Orson Welles Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Dark areas on floor are dunes.
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  Dunes on floor of Orson Welles Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Small curved channels are also visible. Note: this is an enlargement of previous photo.

See also

• Impact crater
• Impact event
• Lakes on Mars
• List of craters on Mars
• Ore resources on Mars
• Planetary nomenclature