Sagan (crater)
Sagan is an impact crater on Mars, located in the Oxia Palus quadrangle at 10.8° N and 30.7° W. It measures approximately 90 kilometers in diameter and was named after American astronomer Carl Sagan, who founded the Planetary Society and is best known for the television series Cosmos. The naming was approved by IAU's Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature in 2000.[1]
 Viking Orbiter 1 mosaic | |
| Planet | Mars |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 10.8°N 30.7°W |
| Quadrangle | Oxia Palus quadrangle |
| Diameter | 90.26 km |
| Eponym | Carl Sagan |
To the northeast of Sagan is the larger Masursky, and to the south is Barsukov.
Impact craters generally have a rim with ejecta around them, in contrast volcanic craters usually do not have a rim or ejecta deposits. As craters get larger (greater than 10 km in diameter) they usually have a central peak.[2] The peak is caused by a rebound of the crater floor following the impact.[3]
Central peak ring of Sagan, as seen by HiRISE. Scale bar is 500 meters long.
Western side of Sagan Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter).
See also
References
- "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature | Sagan". usgs.gov. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
- http://www.lpi.usra.edu/publications/slidesets/stones/
- Hugh H. Kieffer (1992). Mars. University of Arizona Press. ISBN 978-0-8165-1257-7. Retrieved 7 March 2011.