Skinakas Basin
Encyclopedia
The Skinakas Basin is the informal name given to a structure on Mercury
that appeared to be an extremely large impact basin. The traditional name for this region of Mercury is Solitudo Aphrodites. The limited-resolution images available showed a double-ringed structure, with the inner ring having a diameter of around 1600 km, which would have made it one of the largest impact basins in the solar system
. It appeared to be even larger than the Caloris Basin
on Mercury, which has been known since the Mariner 10
flybys of that planet. The part of the outer ring that was imaged appeared to correspond to a diameter of around 2300 km.
The basin was supposedly centered at about 280°W, 8° N, and lay on the hemisphere of Mercury that was not imaged by Mariner 10
. In 2001, it was observed and imaged by ALPO (Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers
) members. It was then known as Solitudo Aphrodites. But it was followed by L. Ksanfomality from lucky imaging
observations in 2004. The informal name is after the Skinakas observatory
on Crete
where the observations were taken. Despite radar images having a far greater resolution they are not useful for detecting very large impact basins such as this one; for example, the Caloris Basin is also not visible in radar.
However, images returned during the inbound phase of the 6 October 2008 fly-by of Mercury by NASA's MESSENGER
spacecraft showed conclusively that the Skinakas basin is illusory.
Mercury (planet)
Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System, orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits...
that appeared to be an extremely large impact basin. The traditional name for this region of Mercury is Solitudo Aphrodites. The limited-resolution images available showed a double-ringed structure, with the inner ring having a diameter of around 1600 km, which would have made it one of the largest impact basins in the solar system
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
. It appeared to be even larger than the Caloris Basin
Caloris Basin
The Caloris Basin, also called Caloris Planitia, is a large impact crater on Mercury about in diameter, one of the largest impact basins in the solar system. Caloris is Latin for heat and the basin is so-named because the Sun is almost directly overhead every second time Mercury passes perihelion...
on Mercury, which has been known since the Mariner 10
Mariner 10
Mariner 10 was an American robotic space probe launched by NASA on November 3, 1973, to fly by the planets Mercury and Venus. It was launched approximately two years after Mariner 9 and was the last spacecraft in the Mariner program...
flybys of that planet. The part of the outer ring that was imaged appeared to correspond to a diameter of around 2300 km.
The basin was supposedly centered at about 280°W, 8° N, and lay on the hemisphere of Mercury that was not imaged by Mariner 10
Mariner 10
Mariner 10 was an American robotic space probe launched by NASA on November 3, 1973, to fly by the planets Mercury and Venus. It was launched approximately two years after Mariner 9 and was the last spacecraft in the Mariner program...
. In 2001, it was observed and imaged by ALPO (Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers
Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers
The Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers is an international scientific and educational organization established in March, 1947 in the United States by Walter H. Haas, and later incorporated in 1990...
) members. It was then known as Solitudo Aphrodites. But it was followed by L. Ksanfomality from lucky imaging
Lucky imaging
Lucky imaging is one form of speckle imaging used for astronomical photography. Speckle imaging techniques use a high-speed camera with exposure times short enough so that the changes in the Earth's atmosphere during the exposure are minimal.With lucky imaging, those optimum exposures least...
observations in 2004. The informal name is after the Skinakas observatory
Mount Ida, Crete
Mount Ida, known variously as Idha, Ídhi, Idi, Ita and now Psiloritis , is the highest mountain on Crete. Located in the Rethymno Prefecture, it is sacred to the Greek Titaness Rhea, and on its slopes, according to legend, lies the cave, Idaion Andron, in which Zeus was born...
on Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
where the observations were taken. Despite radar images having a far greater resolution they are not useful for detecting very large impact basins such as this one; for example, the Caloris Basin is also not visible in radar.
However, images returned during the inbound phase of the 6 October 2008 fly-by of Mercury by NASA's MESSENGER
MESSENGER
The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging space probe is a robotic NASA spacecraft in orbit around the planet Mercury. The spacecraft was launched aboard a Delta II rocket in August 2004 to study the chemical composition, geology, and magnetic field of Mercury...
spacecraft showed conclusively that the Skinakas basin is illusory.