Ritchey (Martian crater)

For the crater on the Moon, see Ritchey (lunar crater).
Ritchey
Topographic map of Ritchey crater
PlanetMars
RegionCoprates quadrangle
Coordinates28°48′S 51°00′W / 28.8°S 51°W / -28.8; -51
QuadrangleCoprates
Diameter79 km
EponymGeorge W. Ritchey, an American astronomer (1864-1945)

Ritchey is a crater on Mars, located in the Coprates quadrangle at 28.8° South and 51° West. It measures 79 kilometers in diameter and was named after George W. Ritchey, an American astronomer (1864–1945).[1] Ritchey lies south of Valles Marineris and north of Argyre Planitia, a large impact crater.[2] There is strong evidence that it was once a lake.[3][4]

Ritchey Crater layers, as seen by HiRISE. The dark cap layer seems to be resistant to erosion, while the white middle layer is weak. Click on image to see more details. Scale bar is 500 meters long.
Western side of Ritchey Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter).
Fan along western wall of Ritchey Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Note: this is an enlargement of previous image.
  1. ^ "Ritchey". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
  2. ^ Moore, P. et al. 1990. The Atlas of the Solar System. Crescent Books. NY
  3. ^ Sun, V., R. Milliken. 2014. The geology and mineralogy of Ritchey crater, Mars: Evidence for post-Noachian clay formation. Journal of Geophysical Research:119(4), 810–836
  4. ^ Alluvial/Fluvial & Lacustrine Deposits in Ritchey Crater marsoweb.nas.nasa.gov Retrieved May 11, 2023