 Degas crater,MESSENGER spacecraft image, 2011. Inset isMariner 10 image from 1974. | |
| Feature type | Central-peak impact crater |
|---|---|
| Location | Shakespeare quadrangle,Mercury |
| Coordinates | 37°05′N127°20′W / 37.08°N 127.34°W /37.08; -127.34 |
| Diameter | 54 km (34 mi) |
| Discoverer | Mariner 10 |
| Eponym | Edgar Degas |
Degas is a youngcrater onMercury. It was named after the French impressionist painterEdgar Degas in 1979.[1] The crater was first imaged byMariner 10 in 1974.[2]
The prominentrays of the crater consist of light colored material blasted out during the crater's formation. Craters older than Degas are covered by the ray material, while younger craters are seen superimposed on the rays.[3] Degas forms a crater pair withBrontë to the north. Both lie near the center ofSobkou Planitia.[4]
The crater's floor contains cracks that formed as the pool ofimpact melt cooled and shrank. The high-reflectance material on the walls and in the central portion of the crater probably has a composition distinct from that of the crater floor and surroundings. The illumination conditions and down-slope movement of eroded material exposing fresh rock also contribute to the bright appearance.[5] The floor of Degas exposed low-reflectance material (LRM).[6]
Degas is one of the largest craters of theKuiperian system on Mercury. The largest isBartók crater.[7]
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