Nasreddin (crater)

Not to be confused with Nasireddin, an impact crater on Earth's Moon.
Nasreddin
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Nasreddin crater appears in the center of this image
Feature typeImpact crater
LocationOz Terra, Charon
Coordinates25°30′N 51°24′W / 25.5°N 51.4°W / 25.5; -51.4 (Nasreddin)[1]
Diameter29.7 kilometres (18.5 mi)
DiscovererNew Horizons
EponymSufi traveler from folklore

Nasreddin is a crater on Pluto's largest moon, Charon. The crater was first observed by NASA's New Horizons space probe on its flyby of Pluto in 2015. The name was chosen as a reference to Nasreddin, the hero of humorous folktales told throughout the Middle East, Southern Europe, and parts of Asia. The name was officially approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) on 11 April 2018.[1]

The location of Nasreddin crater is in the northern Pluto-facing hemisphere of Charon, north of Mandjet Chasma in a region informally called Oz Terra.[2] The crater has bright bluish rays, indicative of fresher crust material composed of water and ammonia ices.[3]

  1. ^ a b "Nasreddin (crater)". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference iau1803 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Robbins2019 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).