Sagan (crater)
 Central peak ring of Sagan, as seen by HiRISE. Scale bar is 500 meters long. | |
| Planet | Mars |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 10°48′N 30°42′W / 10.8°N 30.7°WCoordinates: 10°48′N 30°42′W / 10.8°N 30.7°W |
| Diameter | 90.26 km |
| Eponym | Carl E. Sagan, an American astronomer (1934-1996) |
Sagan is an impact crater on Mars, located in the Oxia Palus quadrangle at 10.8° N and 30.7° W. It measures approximately 90 kilometers in diameter and was named after an American astronomer Carl Sagan, who founded the Planetary Society. The naming was approved by IAU's Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature in 2000.[1]
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]
Western side of Sagan Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter).
See also
References
- ↑ "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature | Sagan". 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.
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