Raphael (crater)
Raphael is a crater on Mercury. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1976, and is named for the Italian painter Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino).[1] It is Tolstojan in age.[2]
 MESSENGER approximate color image | |
| Feature type | Impact crater |
|---|---|
| Location | Beethoven quadrangle, Mercury |
| Coordinates | 20.42°S 76.35°W |
| Diameter | 342 km (213 mi) |
| Eponym | Raphael |
Another MESSENGER view
Unlike other Mercurian craters of similar size, Raphael is not multi-ringed.[3]
The crater Flaiano lies just south of the center of Raphael.
There is also a high-albedo area east of Flaiano, that is associated with irregular depressions. The area was named Madu Facula by the IAU in 2023.[4] The depressions are similar to those within Navoi, Lermontov, Scarlatti, and Praxiteles. The depressions resemble those associated with volcanic explosions.[5]
High-albedo area in Raphael crater, named Madu Facula
References
- "Raphael". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. IAU/NASA/USGS. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- Denevi, B. W., Ernst, C. M., Prockter, L. M., and Robinson, M. S., 2018. The Geologic History of Mercury. In Mercury: The View After MESSENGER edited by Sean C. Solomon, Larry R. Nittler, and Brian J. Anderson. Cambridge Planetary Science. Chapter 6, Table 6.3.
- Trask, N.J., 1976, History of basin development on Mercury: Conference on Comparisons of Mercury and The Moon: Lunar Science Institute Contribution no. 262, p.36.
- "Madu Facula". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. IAU/NASA/USGS. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- "Navoi: An Uncommon Crater Named for the Uzbek Poet". Messenger. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
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