Josetsu (crater)
MESSENGER WAC image | |
| Planet | Mercury |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 83°35′N 134°56′W / 83.58°N 134.93°W |
| Quadrangle | Borealis |
| Diameter | 30 km |
| Eponym | Taikō Josetsu |
Josetsu is a crater on Mercury, located near the north pole. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2019. It is named for the Japanese painter Taikō Josetsu.[1] The crater was referred to as o7 in scientific literature prior to naming.[2]
The southern portion of Josetsu is in permanent shadow, and within the shadow is a topographic low called a "small‐scale cold trap" where water-ice may be exposed at the surface.[2]
Josetsu is southeast of Bunin crater.
References
[edit]- ^ "Josetsu". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. NASA. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ a b New evidence for surface water ice in small‐scale cold traps and in three large craters at the north polar region of Mercury from the Mercury Laser Altimeter, Ariel N. Deutsch, Gregory A. Neumann, James W. Head. 14 September 2017. Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 44, Issue 18. doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074723