Kraken Catena

Kraken Catena
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Kraken Catena and nearby Set Catena, highlighted with arrows. The two pit chains are aligned radially from nearby Leviathan Patera
Feature typeCrater chain, tectonic rift
LocationMonad Regio, Triton
Coordinates14°00′N 35°30′E / 14.00°N 35.50°E / 14.00; 35.50[1]
DiscovererVoyager 2
EponymKraken

Kraken Catena is a pit chain (catena) and likely tectonic fault[2] on Triton, the largest natural satellite of Neptune. It, along with Set Catena, is located near and is aligned approximately radially from Leviathan Patera, a major cryovolcanic feature; as such, Kraken Catena may have played a role in rift-induced cryovolcanic activity in Leviathan Patera.[2][3] Several of Kraken Catena's pits have central steep-sided knobs, giving a moated appearance similar to the moated mountains found on Pluto's moon Charon and Uranus's moon Ariel.[3]

As with all other surface features of Triton, Kraken Catena was discovered when Voyager 2 visited the Neptune system on 25 August 1989. It is named after the Kraken of Norse mythology; the name was officially approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1991. It is located at 14°N, 35.5°E, within Cipango Planum and Monad Regio.[1]

  1. ^ a b "Kraken Catena". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program. (Center Latitude: 14.00°, Center Longitude: 35.50°; Planetographic, +Eastt)
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Stern1999 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference schenk2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).