Caloris Planitia
Mosaic of the Caloris basin based on photographs by the MESSENGER orbiter. | |
| Location | Raditladi quadrangle, Mercury |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 30°30′N 189°48′W / 30.5°N 189.8°W |
| Diameter | 1,550 km (963 mi) |
| Eponym | Latin for "heat" |
Caloris Planitia /kəˈlɔːrɪs pləˈnɪʃ(i)ə/ is a plain within a large impact basin on Mercury, informally named Caloris, about 1,550 km (960 mi) in diameter.[1] It is one of the largest impact basins in the Solar System. "Calor" is Latin for "heat" and the basin is so-named because the Sun is almost directly overhead every second time Mercury passes perihelion. The crater, discovered in 1974, is surrounded by the Caloris Montes, a ring of mountains approximately 2 km (1.2 mi) tall.
- ^ Shiga, David (2008-01-30). "Bizarre spider scar found on Mercury's surface". NewScientist.com news service.