Kālidāsā is a crater on Mercury.[1] Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1976. Kalidasa is named for the Indian writer Kālidāsa, who lived in the 5th century CE.[2]

Kālidāsā
}
MESSENGER image of Kālidāsā, the large impact basin in the lower left
Feature typePeak-ring impact basin
LocationTolstoj quadrangle, Mercury
Coordinates18°13′S 179°49′W / 18.21°S 179.82°W / -18.21; -179.82
Diameter160 km (99 mi)
EponymKālidāsa
Oblique view of Kālidāsā

Kālidāsā is one of 110 peak ring basins on Mercury.[3]

To the north of Kālidāsā is Tir Planitia, and to the east is the Tolstoj basin. To the south is Hauptmann crater.

References

edit
  1. ^ Moore, Patrick (2000). The Data Book of Astronomy. Institute of Physics Publishing. ISBN 0-7503-0620-3.
  2. ^ "Kalidasa". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. NASA. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  3. ^ 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.