Caloris Planitia
Crater on Mercury / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Caloris Planitia /kəˈlɔːrɪs pləˈnɪʃ(i)ə/ is a plain within a large impact basin on Mercury, informally named Caloris, about 1,550 km (960 mi) in diameter.[1] It is one of the largest impact basins in the Solar System. "Calor" is Latin for "heat" and the basin is so-named because the Sun is almost directly overhead every second time Mercury passes perihelion. The crater, discovered in 1974, is surrounded by the Caloris Montes, a ring of mountains approximately 2 km (1.2 mi) tall.
Quick Facts Location, Coordinates ...
Location | Raditladi quadrangle, Mercury |
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Coordinates | 30.5°N 189.8°W / 30.5; -189.8 |
Diameter | 1,550 km (963 mi) |
Eponym | Latin for "heat" |
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