Molesworth (crater)
 Map of Aeolis quadrangle. The Spirit Rover landed in Gusev crater. It found volcanic rocks that probably came from Apollinaris Patera. A large pile of layered rocks sits in the middle of Gale Crater. | |
| Planet | Mars |
|---|---|
| Region | Aeolis quadrangle |
| Coordinates | 27°42′S 210°54′W / 27.7°S 210.9°W |
| Quadrangle | Aeolis |
| Diameter | 169 km |
| Eponym | Percy B. Molesworth, a British astronomer (1867–1908) |
Molesworth Crater is a crater in the Aeolis quadrangle of Mars, located at 27.7° south latitude and 210.9° west longitude. It is 169 km in diameter and was named after Percy B. Molesworth, a British astronomer (1867–1908).[1]
Molesworth Crater has a central peak. Impact craters generally have a rim with ejecta around them, in contrast volcanic craters usually do not have a rim or ejecta deposits. As craters get larger (greater than 10 km in diameter) they usually have a central peak.[2] The peak is caused by a rebound of the crater floor following the impact.[3]
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Central uplift of an Unnamed crater on the floor of Molesworth Crater, as seen by HiRISE. Dark sand dunes are on left side of image. The scale bar is 500 meters long.
See also
References
- ^ "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature | Molesworth". usgs.gov. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
- ^ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/publications/slidesets/stones/
- ^ Hugh H. Kieffer (1992). Mars. University of Arizona Press. ISBN 978-0-8165-1257-7. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
