Enheduanna (crater)

Enheduanna
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Map-projected WAC image by MESSENGER
Feature typeImpact crater
LocationVictoria quadrangle, Mercury
Coordinates48°20′N 33°35′W / 48.34°N 33.59°W / 48.34; -33.59
Diameter105 km (65 mi)
EponymEnheduanna

Enheduanna is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 105 kilometers. Its name was suggested by Gagan Toor from India in a naming contest which was eventually adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) on 2015.[1] Enheduanna is named for the Sumerian poet Enheduanna.[2] The craters Carolan, Kulthum, Karsh, and Rivera were also named as part of the contest.

There are irregular depressions at the center of Enheduanna, which are similar to those within Navoi, Lermontov, Scarlatti, and Praxiteles. The depressions resemble those associated with volcanic explosions.[3][4]

The scarp known as Victoria Rupes cuts across Enheduanna and trends to the north from it.

  • Approximate color image by MESSENGER
    Approximate color image by MESSENGER
  • Derzhavin and Enheduanna craters from MESSENGER's second flyby of Mercury in October 2008.
    Derzhavin and Enheduanna craters from MESSENGER's second flyby of Mercury in October 2008.
  • Oblique view of the depression in Enheduanna crater facing south
    Oblique view of the depression in Enheduanna crater facing south
  1. ^ "Mercury Crater-naming Contest Winners Announced". www.iau.org.
  2. ^ "Planetary Names: Crater, craters: Enheduanna on Mercury". Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Navoi: An Uncommon Crater Named for the Uzbek Poet". Messenger. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  4. ^ Gillis-Davis, Jeffrey J.; Blewett, David T.; Gaskell, Robert W.; Denevi, Brett W.; Robinson, Mark S.; Strom, Robert G.; Solomon, Sean C.; Sprague, Ann L. (2009). "Pit-floor craters on Mercury: Evidence of near-surface igneous activity". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 285 (3–4): 243–250. Bibcode:2009E&PSL.285..243G. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2009.05.023.