Mofolo (crater)

Mofolo
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MESSENGER NAC image of Mofolo
Feature typeImpact crater
LocationDiscovery quadrangle, Mercury
Coordinates37°41′S 28°13′W / 37.68°S 28.22°W / -37.68; -28.22
Diameter103.0 km (64.0 mi)
EponymThomas Mofolo

Mofolo is a crater on Mercury.[1] Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1976. Mofolo is named for the Basotho writer Thomas Mofolo, who lived from 1876 or 1877 to 1948.[2] The crater was first imaged by Mariner 10 in 1974.[3]

To the north of Mofolo is Petrarch crater and the "weird terrain" that is antipodal to the Caloris basin. To the west is Neumann crater, and to the southwest is Equiano.

  • Oblique view
    Oblique view
  • Neumann (left foreground), Equiano (right), and Mofolo (upper left) craters. The crater in upper right is unnamed.
    Neumann (left foreground), Equiano (right), and Mofolo (upper left) craters. The crater in upper right is unnamed.

References

  1. ^ Moore, Patrick (2000). The Data Book of Astronomy. Institute of Physics Publishing. ISBN 0-7503-0620-3.
  2. ^ "Mofolo". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. IAU/USGS/NASA. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  3. ^ Davies, M. E.; Dwornik, S. E.; Gault, D. E.; Strom, R. G. (1978). Atlas of Mercury. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. pp. 1–128. ISBN 978-1-114-27448-8. Special Publication SP-423.


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