Hokusai (crater)

Hokusai (crater)

Photo of Hokusai crater by MESSENGER
Planet Mercury
Diameter 95 km
Eponym Katsushika Hokusai[1]

Hokusai is a rayed impact crater on Mercury, which was discovered in 1991 by ground based radar observations conducted at Goldstone Observatory.[2] The crater was initially known as feature B. Its appearance was so dissimilar to other impact craters that it was once thought to be a shield volcano. However improved radar images by the Arecibo Observatory obtained later in 2000–2005 clearly showed that feature B is an impact crater with an extensive ray system. The bright appearance of rays in the radio images indicates that the crater is geologically young; fresh impact ejecta has a rough surface, which leads to strong scattering of radio waves.[2]

Hokusai is named after Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), a Japanese artist and printmaker of the Edo period.[1] The name Hokusai was suggested by radar astronomer John K. Harmon.[3] The crater has a diameter of about 100 km; the rays extend for thousands kilometers, covering much of the northern hemisphere.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b "Ten Craters On Mercury Receive New Names". SpaceDaily. http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Ten_Craters_On_Mercury_Receive_New_Names_999.html. Retrieved March 29, 2010. 
  2. ^ a b Harmon, John K.; Slade, Martin A.; Butler, Bryan J.; et al., J; Rice, M; Campbell, D (2007). "Mercury: Radar images of the equatorial and midlatitude zones". Icarus 187 (2): 374–405. Bibcode 2007Icar..187..374H. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2006.09.026. 
  3. ^ http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/sciencePhotos/image.php?gallery_id=2&image_id=381
  4. ^ "PIA11356: Looking Back to the Source". NASA. October 6, 2008. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA11356. Retrieved March 29, 2010.