Alpha Regio
Encyclopedia
Alpha Regio is a region of the planet Venus
extending for about 1500 kilometers centered at 22°S, 5°E.
It was discovered and named by Dick Goldstein in 1964. The name was approved by the International Astronomical Union
's Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (IAU/WGPSN) between 1976 and 1979. Maxwell Montes
, Alpha Regio, and Beta Regio
are the three exceptions to the rule that the surface features of Venus are to be named for female
s: women or goddess
es.
The surface of the region is what is known as Tessera, meaning a terrain that has been highly deformed and where the deformation strikes in multiple directions and is closely spaced. The term comes from the Greek word for “tiled” (Russian investigators analyzing Venera 15
and Venera 16
imagery thought this terrain looked like a parquet floor). Like all tessera regions, it sits above the surrounding terrain at an elevation of 1 to 2 kilometers elevation and is heavily deformed by what appears to be contractional folding. Like most tessera units, the surrounding volcanic plains appear to have flowed around Alpha's margins and thus are younger than Alpha.
An infrared map prepared by the Venus Express
orbiter shows that the rocks on the Alpha Regio plateau is lighter in colour and look old compared to the majority of the planet. On Earth, such light-coloured rocks are usually granite
and form continents.
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
extending for about 1500 kilometers centered at 22°S, 5°E.
It was discovered and named by Dick Goldstein in 1964. The name was approved by the International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
's Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (IAU/WGPSN) between 1976 and 1979. Maxwell Montes
Maxwell Montes
Maxwell Montes is a mountain massif on the planet Venus, part of which contains the highest point on the planet's surface.- General description :...
, Alpha Regio, and Beta Regio
Beta Regio
Beta Regio is a region of the planet Venus known as a volcanic rise. Measuring about 3000 km, it constitutes a prominent upland region of Venus centered at ....
are the three exceptions to the rule that the surface features of Venus are to be named for female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
s: women or goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
es.
The surface of the region is what is known as Tessera, meaning a terrain that has been highly deformed and where the deformation strikes in multiple directions and is closely spaced. The term comes from the Greek word for “tiled” (Russian investigators analyzing Venera 15
Venera 15
Venera 15 was a spacecraft sent to Venus by the Soviet Union. This unmanned orbiter was to map the surface of Venus using high resolution imaging systems...
and Venera 16
Venera 16
Venera 16 was a spacecraft sent to Venus by the Soviet Union. This unmanned orbiter was to map the surface of Venus using high resolution imaging systems...
imagery thought this terrain looked like a parquet floor). Like all tessera regions, it sits above the surrounding terrain at an elevation of 1 to 2 kilometers elevation and is heavily deformed by what appears to be contractional folding. Like most tessera units, the surrounding volcanic plains appear to have flowed around Alpha's margins and thus are younger than Alpha.
An infrared map prepared by the Venus Express
Venus Express
Venus Express is the first Venus exploration mission of the European Space Agency. Launched in November 2005, it arrived at Venus in April 2006 and has been continuously sending back science data from its polar orbit around Venus. Equipped with seven science instruments, the main objective of the...
orbiter shows that the rocks on the Alpha Regio plateau is lighter in colour and look old compared to the majority of the planet. On Earth, such light-coloured rocks are usually granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
and form continents.