Petronius (crater) explained

Petronius
Globe:Mercury
Coordinates:86.06°N -40.51°W
Eponym:Petronius

Petronius is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 36km (22miles). Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) on the August 6, 2012. Petronius is named for the Roman author Petronius.[1] [2]

Petronius has a region of permanent shadow on much of its floor, which has a bright radar signature. This is interpreted to represent a deposit of water ice.[3] [4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Petronius . . Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature . 16 March 2022.
  2. Web site: "The Hobbit" Author Gets a Crater on Mercury . . 14 August 2012 . Jason Major . 4 June 2022.
  3. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19411 PIA19411: Water Ice on Mercury
  4. John K. Harmon, Martin A. Slade, Melissa S. Rice, 2011. Radar imagery of Mercury’s putative polar ice: 1999–2005 Arecibo results. Icarus, 211, p37-50. doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2010.08.007

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