Hun Kal (crater)

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Hun Kal (crater)

Hun Kal is indicated by an arrow.
Coordinates 0.5° S, 20° W
Diameter 1.5 km
Eponym '20' in the Mayan language
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Hun Kal is a small crater on Mercury that serves as the reference point for the planet's system of longitude. The longitude of Hun Kal's center is defined as being 20° W, thus establishing the planet's prime meridian.

Hun Kal was chosen as a reference point since the actual prime meridian was in shadow when Mariner 10 photographed the region, hiding any features near 0° longitude from view.

This image shows the surrounding context of Hun Kal, which is almost invisibly tiny near the center.
This image shows the surrounding context of Hun Kal, which is almost invisibly tiny near the center.
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