 Southern hemisphere of Vesta as imaged by Dawn, showing Rheasilvia crater | |
| Location | South polar region, Vesta |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 71°57′S 86°18′E / 71.950°S 86.300°E[1] |
| Diameter | 505 km (314 mi) |
| Peak | 20–25 km (12–16 mi) (central peak)[2][3] |
| Discoverer | Hubble Space Telescope |
| Eponym | Rhea Silvia, a mythological vestal virgin and mother of the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus |
Rheasilvia /ˌriːəˈsɪlviə/ is the largest impact crater on the asteroid Vesta. It is 505 km (314 mi) in diameter, which is 90% the diameter of Vesta itself, and is 95% the mean diameter of Vesta, 529 km (329 mi). However, the mean is affected by the crater itself. It is 89% the mean equatorial diameter of 569 km (354 mi), making it one of the largest craters in the Solar System, and at 75°S latitude, covers most of the southern hemisphere. The peak in the center of the crater is 200 km (120 mi) in diameter, and rises 22.5 km (14.0 mi; 74,000 ft) from its base,[3][2] making it one of the tallest mountains known in the Solar System.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
gpnwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Vega, Priscilla (11 October 2011). "New View of Vesta Mountain From NASA's Dawn Mission". dawn.jpl.nasa.gov. NASA. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ^ a b Schenk, Paul; et al. (11 May 2012). "The Geologically Recent Giant Impact Basins at Vesta's South Pole". Science. 336 (6082): 694–697. Bibcode:2012Sci...336..694S. doi:10.1126/science.1223272. PMID 22582256. S2CID 206541950.