Degas (crater)
Degas is a rayed crater on Mercury at latitude 37.5, longitude 127. It is 45 km (27 mi) wide and was named after Edgar Degas. 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. [1]
The crater's floor contains cracks that formed as the pool of impact melt cooled and shrank. The high-reflectance material on the walls and in the central portion of the crater probably has a composition distinct from that of the crater floor and surroundings. The illumination conditions and down-slope movement of eroded material exposing fresh rock also contribute to the bright appearance. [2]
References
- ^ Nemiroff, R.; Bonnell, J., eds. (16 December 2000). "Degas Ray Crater on Mercury". Astronomy Picture of the Day. NASA.
- ^ Degas Crater at NASA Messenger website. This article incorporates public domain text from this US government website.
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