 Topography of Ishtar Terra | |
| Feature type | Terra |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 70°24′N27°30′E / 70.4°N 27.5°E /70.4; 27.5 |
| Diameter | 5,610 km |
| Eponym | Ishtar |
Ishtar Terra/ˈɪʃtɑːrˈtɛrə/[1] is the second largest of the three continentalterrae regions on the planet Venus, the others beingAphrodite Terra andLada Terra.
It is a highland region named after theAkkadiangoddessIshtar,[2] and is found in the north of the planet.[3] Note that Ishtar Terra is located near the negative pole if Venus's rotation is defined as prograde by theright-hand rule.[4] The rotation of the planet is commonly characterized as retrograde in order to correlate its northern hemisphere with Earth's, in which case Ishtar Terra is near the north pole. This is the convention normally used for maps.
In size, it is roughly betweenAustralia and thecontiguous United States,[5] making it the second-largest of the terrae. On its eastern edge lies the greatmountain chainMaxwell Montes, which is about 11 kilometers (6.8 mi) high, compared toMount Everest at 8.8 kilometers (5.5 mi). On one side of the mountain chain is theimpact craterCleopatra Patera, 100 kilometers (62 mi) in diameter filled withlava.[citation needed]
Ishtar Terra contains the four main mountain ranges of Venus: Maxwell Montes on the eastern edge,Freyja Montes in the north,Akna Montes on the western edge, andDanu Montes in the southern region. These surround the lower plain of Ishtar Terra, which is namedLakshmi Planum (after theHindu goddessLakshmi).[6]
Ishtar Terra also containsvolcanoes named after famous women:Sacajawea andColette. Ishtar Terra is also the site of manytesserae, made by tectonic deformation.[4]
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