Brashear Crater

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Brashear Crater

Wide view of Brashear near other craters, as seen by MOLA in which elevations are indicated by different colors.
Planet Mars
Coordinates 54°08′S 119°02′W / 54.14°S 119.03°W / -54.14; -119.03Coordinates: 54°08′S 119°02′W / 54.14°S 119.03°W / -54.14; -119.03
Diameter 77.45 km
Eponym John A. Brashear (1840-1920), an American astronomer

Brashear Crater is an impact crater in the Thaumasia quadrangle of Mars, located at 54.14 S and 119.03 W. It is 77.45 km in diameter, and was named after John A. Brashear (1840–1920), an American astronomer. The name was approved in 1973.[1]

Sand Dunes

Many places on Mars have sand dunes. Some craters in Thaumasia show dark blotches in them. High resolution photos show that the dark markings are dark sand dunes. Dark sand dunes probably contain the igneous rock basalt.[2] Brashear Crater, pictured below, is one crater with dark dunes.

  • Mars Global Surveyor context image with box showing where next image is located.

  • Mars Global Surveyor image of part of area in the previous photo. The dark spots are resolved to be sand dunes.

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/SearchResults
  2. ↑ Carr, Michael H. (2006). The Surface of Mars. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-87201-0. 


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