 Exaggerated color image of part of Mearcair Planitia, includingKerouac crater below left of center. | |
| Feature type | Planitia |
|---|---|
| Location | Raditladi quadrangle,Mercury |
| Coordinates | 31°24′N227°54′W / 31.4°N 227.9°W /31.4; -227.9 |
| Eponym | Irish word for Mercury |
Mearcair Planitia is a large plain on the planetMercury. The name Mearcair is theIrish andScottish Gaelic word for "Mercury", and the name was approved in 2017.[1] It was first observed in detail byMESSENGER. It lies between the large craterRaditladi and the ancientCaloris basin.
Mearcair Planitia is one of four named plains that surround theCaloris basin (withOdin Planitia,Stilbon Planitia, andTir Planitia). All of these plains are classified assmooth, as opposed tointracrater plains which have rougher topography. They also contain areas where kilometer-scale knobs protrude above the plains, and these areas are called theOdin Formation. The Odin Formation is interpreted as a mixture of impact melt and blocky basin ejecta, formed by the Caloris impact event.[2]
The large craterKerouac lies near the center of Mearcair Planitia.
 | This article about geology, geography or other features of theplanet Mercury is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
