Nereus (Martian crater)
Encyclopedia
Nereus is a small impact crater
on Mars
with a diameter of about 10 metres (32.8 ft). It is located just south of the planet's equator
on the relatively smooth Meridiani Planum
(plain).
It was discovered by the Opportunity Mars rover on Sol 2010 (2009-09-19), being noticed because it is surrounded by jagged rocks, and was the Astronomy Picture of the Day
for 2009-10-19.
It is named for Nereus
a Greek god who lived with the Nereids
in the Aegean Sea
.
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
on Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
with a diameter of about 10 metres (32.8 ft). It is located just south of the planet's equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
on the relatively smooth Meridiani Planum
Meridiani Planum
Meridiani Planum is a plain located 2 degrees south of Mars' equator , in the westernmost portion of Terra Meridiani. It hosts a rare occurrence of gray crystalline hematite...
(plain).
It was discovered by the Opportunity Mars rover on Sol 2010 (2009-09-19), being noticed because it is surrounded by jagged rocks, and was the Astronomy Picture of the Day
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Astronomy Picture of the Day is a website provided by NASA and Michigan Technological University . According to the website, "Each day a different image or photograph of our universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer."The photograph is not necessarily...
for 2009-10-19.
It is named for Nereus
Nereus
In Greek mythology, Nereus was the eldest son of Pontus and Gaia , a Titan who with Doris fathered the Nereids, with whom Nereus lived in the Aegean Sea. In the Iliad the Old Man of the Sea is the father of Nereids, though Nereus is not directly named...
a Greek god who lived with the Nereids
Nereids
In Greek mythology, the Nereids are sea nymphs, the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris, sisters to Nerites. They often accompany Poseidon and can be friendly and helpful to sailors fighting perilous storms. They are particularly associated with the Aegean Sea, where they dwelt with their father...
in the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
.
See also
- List of craters on Mars
- Geology of MarsGeology of MarsThe geology of Mars is the scientific study of the surface, crust, and interior of the planet Mars. It emphasizes the composition, structure, history, and physical processes that shape the planet. It is fully analogous to the field of terrestrial geology. In planetary science, the term geology is...
- List of surface features of Mars seen by the Opportunity rover
External links
Photos- Panorama of Nereus crater, hortonheardawho, FlickrFlickrFlickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
, 2009-10-14. - Close up in 3D of the western edge of Nereus crater, hortonheardawho, FlickFlickFlick may refer to:People* Flick family, a well-known German family* Hans-Dieter Flick, German football coach* Flick Shagwell, pornographic actress* Bertolt Flick, CEO of AirBaltic* Brittany Flickinger, American reality TV personality, Singer....
r, 2009-10-10. - Nereus Crater on Mars (panorama), Astronomy Picture of the DayAstronomy Picture of the DayAstronomy Picture of the Day is a website provided by NASA and Michigan Technological University . According to the website, "Each day a different image or photograph of our universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer."The photograph is not necessarily...
, NASA, 2009-10-19. - Opportunity Panoramic Camera Raw Images for Sol 2010, NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
/JPL/Caltech, 2009.
