Taniquetil Montes

The Taniquetil Montes are a range of mountains on Titan, the largest moon of the planet Saturn. The range is located near Titan's equator, between 2-4° south and 211-214° west.[1] It is located within the Adiri region, just west of the landing site of the Huygens probe.[2]

The Taniquetil Montes are named after Taniquetil, a mountain in the Undying Lands in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe.[1] The name follows a convention that Titanean mountains are after mountains in Tolkien's work.[3] It was formally announced on November 13, 2012.[4]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Taniquetil Montes". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN). 2012-11-13. Retrieved 2014-06-04.
  2. United States Geological Survey. "Titan with VIMS background and RADAR strips". Accessed 14 Nov, 2012.
  3. International Astronomical Union. "Categories for Naming Features on Planets and Satellites". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Accessed Nov 14, 2012.
  4. Jennifer Blue, "Eight New Names for Titan Surface Features". USGS Astrologeology Science Center. Nov 13, 2012.