Caloris Planitia
Caloris Planitia /kəˈlɔːrɪs pləˈnɪʃ(i)ə/ is a plain within a large impact basin on Mercury, informally named Caloris, about 1,550 km (960 mi) in diameter. It is one of the largest impact basins in the Solar System. "Calor" is Latin for "heat" and the basin is so-named because the Sun is almost directly overhead every second time Mercury passes perihelion. The crater, discovered in 1974, is surrounded by the Caloris Montes, a ring of mountains approximately 2 km (1.2 mi) tall.
Mosaic of the Caloris basin based on photographs by the MESSENGER orbiter. | |
| Planet | Mercury |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 30.5°N 189.8°W |
| Quadrangle | Raditladi |
| Diameter | 1,550 km (963 mi) |
| Eponym | Latin for "heat" |
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