Wen Tianxiang
MESSENGER NAC mosaic
PlanetMercury
Coordinates45°20′S 191°36′W / 45.34°S 191.6°W / -45.34; -191.6
QuadrangleNeruda
Diameter166.42 km (103.41 mi)
EponymWen Tianxiang
Exaggerated color MESSENGER image centered on Wen Tianxiang

Wen Tianxiang is a crater on Mercury. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in June 2020, and it is named for Chinese writer and poet Wen Tianxiang.[1]

Wen Tianxiang is one of 110 peak ring basins on Mercury.[2]

Within southern Wen Tianxiang crater is Yinshe Facula, a bright area associated with a small crater. Yinshe is the Chinese word for silver snake.[3]

References

  1. "Wen Tianxiang". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. IAU/NASA/USGS. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  2. Chapman, C. R., Baker, D. M. H., Barnouin, O. S., Fassett, C. I., Marchie, S., Merline, W. J., Ostrach, L. R., Prockter, L. M., and Strom, R. G., 2018. Impact Cratering of Mercury. In Mercury: The View After MESSENGER edited by Sean C. Solomon, Larry R. Nittler, and Brian J. Anderson. Cambridge Planetary Science. Chapter 9.
  3. "Yinshe Facula". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. IAU/NASA/USGS. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
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