Ross (Martian crater)

Ross is an impact crater in the Thaumasia quadrangle of Mars located at 57.7 S and 107.84 W. It is 82.51 km in diameter. It was named after Frank E. Ross, an American astronomer (1874-1960). The crater's name was approved in 1973.^[1]

Description

The only nearby named crater is Lamont located over a crater diameter nearly to the west. Also to the east is Aonia Terra.

The crater features a central peak and its crater rim mare mountains. Between 25 and 30 km northwest is a slightly smaller crater without a name.

Surrounding the crater are numerous gullies, they are on the narrow rim of a crater and they start at different heights and are not caused by aquifers. Some of the gullies shows multiple channels. Some of these shows polygons and some are streamlined forms in channels.

Images

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  Ross Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter).
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  Gullies on southern wall of Ross Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Note: this is an enlargement from the previous photo.
• 
  CTX image of part of Ross Crater showing context for next image from HiRISE.
• 
  Gullies in Ross Crater, as seen by HiRISE under the HiWish program. Because the gullies are on the narrow rim of a crater and they start at different heights, this example is not consistent with the model of gullies being caused by aquifers.
• 
  Gullies in Ross Crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program

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  Group of gullies in Ross Crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
• 
  Close-up of gullies showing multiple channels, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program Note: this is an enlargement of a previous image.
• 
  Close-up of gullies showing polygons, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program Polygons usually form in frozen ice-rich ground. Note: this is an enlargement of a previous image.
• 
  Close-up of gullies showing streamlined forms in channels, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program Note: this is an enlargement of a previous image.

• 
  Wide view of gullies in Ross Crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
• 
  Close view of many small gullies in Ross Crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program Note: this is an enlargement of a previous image.
• 
  Close view of polygons near gullies in Ross Crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program Note: this is an enlargement of a previous image.
• 
  Close view of polygons near gullies in Ross Crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program Note: this is an enlargement of a previous image.

See also

• Martian Gullies
• Water on Mars
• Planetary nomenclature
• List of craters on Mars
• Thaumasia quadrangle

References