Matisse (crater)

Matisse
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MESSENGER photo of Matisse (right), from its first flyby in January 2008
Feature typeImpact crater
LocationMichelangelo quadrangle, Mercury
Coordinates23°48′S 90°11′W / 23.80°S 90.19°W / -23.80; -90.19
Diameter189 km (117 mi)
EponymHenri Matisse

Matisse is an impact crater on the southern hemisphere of Mercury.[1] Matisse takes its name from the French artist Henri Matisse, and it was named by the IAU in 1976.[2]

Two faculae (high-albedo areas) within and near Matisse were named by the IAU in May 2023. One is called Ngu Facula, located within an unnamed crater in northern Matisse.[3] The other is called Ahas Facula, located in an unnamed crater northeast of Matisse.[4]

Within Matisse is a dark spot of low reflectance material (LRM). The dark spot is associated with hollows.[5] The dark spot is located on the southwest rim of the unnamed crater containing Ngu Facula.

The smaller crater Lessing is to the south of Matisse.

  • Northern Matisse crater, with Ngu Facula and Ahas Facula.
    Northern Matisse crater, with Ngu Facula and Ahas Facula.
  • Detail of dark spot in Matisse crater. Hollows are present in the dark spot and in Ngu Facula in the unnamed crater in upper right.
    Detail of dark spot in Matisse crater. Hollows are present in the dark spot and in Ngu Facula in the unnamed crater in upper right.
  1. ^ "MESSENGER DANCES BY MATISSE". Retrieved 2008-11-08.
  2. ^ "Matisse". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. IAU/NASA/USGS. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  3. ^ "Ngu Facula". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. IAU/NASA/USGS. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Ahas Facula". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. IAU/NASA/USGS. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  5. ^ Zhiyong Xiao, Robert G. Strom, David T. Blewett, Paul K. Byrne, Sean C. Solomon, Scott L. Murchie, Ann L. Sprague, Deborah L. Domingue, Jörn Helbert, 2013. Dark spots on Mercury: A distinctive low-reflectance material and its relation to hollows. Journal of Geophysical Research Planets. doi.org/10.1002/jgre.20115