Beethoven Quadrangle Is Seventh of 15 Quadrangles of Mercurian Surface

Summary: Beethoven Quadrangle is the seventh of 15 quadrangles of the Mercurian surface and covers equatorial and low latitudes longitudinally from 72 to 144 degrees.

Geologic Map of the Beethoven Quadrangle of Mercury shows area of equatorial region, mostly imaged as Mariner 10 spacecraft receded from Mercury, and with "no coverage" notation for two patches in northeast and in northeastern corner; Geologic Map of the Beethoven Quadrangle of Mercury (1990) by John S. King and David H. Scott, prepared on behalf of the Planetary Geology Program, Solar System Exploration Division, Office of Space Science, National Aeronautics and Space Administration: via USGS Publications Warehouse

Beethoven Quadrangle is the seventh of 15 quadrangles of the Mercurian surface and references the Swift Planet's equatorial and low latitudes of 22 degrees south to 22 degrees north latitude, from 72 degrees to 144 degrees west longitude.

As the seventh of Mercury's 15 quadrangles, Beethoven Quadrangle has the letter-number designation of H-7 or H07. H signifies Hermes, Greek mythology's equivalent of Roman mythology's Mercurius.

Beethoven Quadrangle's provisional name, Solitudo Lycaonis, designates a dark patch on Mercury's surface. Greek French astronomer Eugène Michel Antoniadi (March 1, 1870-Feb. 10, 1944) placed Lycaonis in northern equatorial latitudes on the map of Mercury's albedo features in his guide, La Planète Mercure, published in 1934 and translated into English by English amateur astronomer Sir Patrick Moore (March 4, 1923-Dec. 9, 2012) in 1974 (figure 5, page 26). Solitudo Lycaonis ("Desert of Lycaon") references Lycaon (Attic Greek: Λυκᾱ́ων), a king of ancient Arcadia, central Peloponnese, southern Greece. King Lycaon is credited with establishing the first temple to Hermes at the summit of Mount Cyllene (Ancient Greek: Κυλλήνη, Kyllini) in the Corinthia region of northeastern Peloponnese. Legend places the birthplace of Hermes in a cave on Mount Cyllene.

Prominent local features conventionally contribute the names of Mercury's quadrangles. Beethoven Quadrangle's namesake is Beethoven Crater. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has established the theme of historically significant artists, authors, musicians and painters for names of Mercury's craters. Approved in 1976, Beethoven Crater honors German Classic period and Romantic era composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven (bapt. Dec. 17, 1770-March 26, 1827).

Beethoven Crater is centered at minus 20.86 degrees south latitude, 124.21 degrees west longitude, according to the IAU's U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center-maintained Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The southern hemisphere impact crater's northernmost and southernmost latitudes extend to minus 13.24 degrees south and minus 28.39 degrees south, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes reach 116.1 degrees west and 132.32 degrees west, respectively. Beethoven Crater's diameter spans 630 kilometers.

Beethoven Crater claims primary occupancy in Beethoven Quadrangle, where the large impact crater resides near the southwestern corner. The crater's southern portion extends into the north central fringes of Michelangelo Quadrangle, Beethoven Quadrangle's northwestern neighbor.

Bello Crater lies on Beethoven Crater's northeastern floor. Bello Crater's name, which was approved in 1976, honors Venezuelan poet Andrés Bello (Andrés Bello de Jesús María y José Bello López; Nov. 29, 1781-Oct. 15, 1865).

Bello Crater is centered at minus 18.87 degrees south latitude, 120.18 degrees west longitude. The low-latitude southern hemisphere crater obtains northernmost and southernmost latitudes of minus 17.27 degrees south and minus 20.46 degrees south, respectively. It posts easternmost and westernmost longitudes of 118.5 degrees west and 121.87 degrees west, respectively. Bello Crater's diameter measures 139 kilometers.

Sayat-Nova Crater sprawls across Beethoven Crater's southeastern rim as a resident of Beethoven Crater's reach into Michelangelo Quadrangle. Sayat-Nova Crater's name, which was approved in 1979, honors Armenian-Georgian poet and songwriter Aruthin Sayadian Sayat-Nova (June 14, 1712-Sept. 22, 1795).

Sayat-Nova Crater is centered at minus 27.98 degrees south latitude, 122.7 degrees west longitude. The Michelangelo resident's northernmost and southernmost latitudes occur at minus 26.26 degrees south and minus 29.68 degrees south, respectively. It marks its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 120.79 degrees west and 124.61 degrees west, respectively. Sayat-Nova Crater has a diameter of 146 kilometers.

In their Geologic Map of the Beethoven Quadrangle of Mercury, published in 1990, geologists John S. King and David H. Scott credited Beethoven Crater and the southeastern corner's Raphael Crater with overwhelming southern Beethoven Quadrangle with their coarsely lineated ejecta blankets. In fact, Beethoven Crater's ejecta blanket and plains material have buried the crater's wall.

Southernmost Raphael Crater reaches into northwesternmost Discovery Quadrangle, Beethoven Quadrangle's northeastern neighbor. Raphael Crater's name, which was approved in 1976, honors High Renaissance painter Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (March 28 or April 6, 1483-April 6, 1520), known as Raphael.

Raphael Crater is centered at minus 20.42 degrees south latitude, 76.35 degrees west longitude. It establishes its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 16.5 degrees south and minus 24.31 degrees south, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes touch 72.08 degrees west and 80.63 degrees west, respectively. Raphael Crater's diameter measures 342 kilometers.

Beethoven Quadrangle shares its northern borders with southeastern neighbor Victoria Quadrangle (H-2) and south center-to-southwestern neighbor, Shakespeare Quadrangle (H-3). Kuiper Quadrangle (H-6) neighbors along Beethoven Quadrangle's eastern border.The northwestern corner of Discovery Quadrangle (H-11) and northeastern Michelangelo Quadrangle (H-12) overlap with Beethoven Quadrangle's southern border. Tolstoj Quadrangle (H-8) occurs as Beethoven Quadrangle's western neighbor.

The takeaways for Beethoven Quadrangle as the seventh of 15 quadrangles of the Mercurian surface are that the quadrangle's namesake feature is Beethoven Crater, which honors German Classic period and Romantic era composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven; that southern Beethoven Quadrangle is characterized by coarsely lineated ejecta blankets from Beethoven Crater in the southwestern corner and Raphael Crater in the southeastern corner; that Beethoven Crater's southern portion overlaps with Beethoven Quadrangle's northwestern neighbor, Michelangelo Quadrangle; and that Beethoven Quadrangle's neighborhood features Victoria and Shakespeare quadrangles as northern neighbors, Kuiper Quadrangle as eastern neighbor, Discovery and Michelangelo quadrangles as southern neighbors, and Tolstoj Quadrangle as western neighbor.

Detail of Map of the H-7 (Beethoven) Quadrangle of Mercury shows the quadrangle's namesake, Beethoven Crater, with Bello Crater occupying Beethoven's northeastern floor; southern Beethoven Crater overlaps with Beethoven Quadrangle's southern neighbor, Michelangelo Quadrangle; credit NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington/USGS: courtesy IAU/USGS Astrogeology Science Center's Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Geologic Map of the Beethoven Quadrangle of Mercury shows area of equatorial region, mostly imaged as Mariner 10 spacecraft receded from Mercury, and with "no coverage" notation for two patches in northeast and in northeastern corner; Geologic Map of the Beethoven Quadrangle of Mercury (1990) by John S. King and David H. Scott, prepared on behalf of the Planetary Geology Program, Solar System Exploration Division, Office of Space Science, National Aeronautics and Space Administration: via USGS Publications Warehouse @ https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/i2048; courtesy of U.S. Geological Services, via USGS Astrogeology Science Center's data portal, Astropedia, @ https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/Mercury/Geology/Mercury-Geologic-Map-of-the-Beethoven-Quadrangle

Detail of Map of the H-7 (Beethoven) Quadrangle of Mercury shows the quadrangle's namesake, Beethoven Crater, with Bello Crater occupying Beethoven's northeastern floor; southern Beethoven Crater overlaps with Beethoven Quadrangle's southern neighbor, Michelangelo Crater; credit NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington/USGS: courtesy IAU/USGS Astrogeology Science Center's Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/images/H-7.pdf

For further information:

Antoniadi, E.M. (Eugène Michel). La Planète Mercure et la Rotation des Satellites. Paris, France: Gauthier-Villars, 1934.

Davies, Merton E.; Stephen E. Dwornik; Donald E. Gault; and Robert G. Strom. Atlas of Mercury. Special Publication SP-423. Prepared for the Office of Space Sciences. Washington DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Scientific and Technical Information Office, 1978.
Available @ https://history.nasa.gov/SP-423/

Davies, Merton E.; Stephen E. Dwornik; Donald E. Gault; and Robert G. Strom. "H-7 Beethoven Quadrangle." Atlas of Mercury: 74-81. Special Publication SP-423. Prepared for the Office of Space Sciences. Washington DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Scientific and Technical Information Office, 1978.
Available @ https://history.nasa.gov/SP-423/h7.htm

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/660

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/675

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International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Beethoven.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > Mercury. Last updated Oct. 7, 2016.
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International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Bello.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > Mercury. Last updated Oct. 7, 2016.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/675

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Raphael.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > Mercury. Last updated Oct. 12, 2016.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/4949

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