Discovery Quadrangle Is 11th of 15 Quadrangles of Mercurian Surface

Summary: Discovery Quadrangle is the 11th of 15 quadrangles of the Mercurian surface and covers middle latitudes longitudinally from 0 to 90 degrees.

Map of Discovery Quadrangle shows area of southern midlatitude illuminated during the Mariner 10 robotic space probe's three Mercury flybys (March 29, 1974; Sept. 21, 1974; march 16, 1975), with notation of "area of darkness" for easternmost 15 degrees; Geologic Map of the Discovery Quadrangle of Mercury by (1984) by Newell J. Trask and Daniel Dzurisin, prepared on behalf of the Planetary Geology Program, Planetary Division, Office of Space Science, National Aeronautics and Space Administration: via USGS Publications Warehouse

Discovery Quadrangle is the 11th of 15 quadrangles of the Mercurian surface, and its map covers the Swift Planet's middle latitudes of 21 degrees south to 66 degrees south latitude, from 0 to 90 degrees west longitude.

As the 11th of Mercury's 15 quadrangles, Discovery Quadrangle has the letter-number designation of H-11 or H11. H represents Hermes, Greek mythology's equivalent of Roman mythology's Mercurius.

Discovery Quadrangle's provisional name, Solitudo Hermae Trismegisti, references a large light region on Mercury's surface. Greek French astronomer Eugène Michel Antoniadi (March 1, 1870-Feb. 10, 1944) placed Solitudo Hermae Trismegisti in the southern hemisphere's middle latitudes, between 30 and 60 degrees south latitude, 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 Hermae Trismegisti (Ancient Greek: Ἑρμῆς ὁ Τρισμέγιστος, "Hermes the Thrice-Greatest"; Classical Latin: Mercurius ter Maximus), "Desert of Thrice-Greatest Hermes," references the syncretism of Greek mythology's Hermes with ancient Egypt's god of wisdom, Thoth, in the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, an ancient Hellenistic, Egypt-based state existing from the commencement of the reign of Ptolemy I Soter (Ancient Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Σωτήρ, Ptolemaîos Sōtḗr, "Ptolemy the Savior"; ca. 367 BC-January 282 BC) in 305 BCE through the death of the last Ptolemaic Pharoah, Cleopatra VII Philopator (κοινή, Koinē, "Common," Greek: Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ; 69 BCE-Aug. 10, 30 BCE).

The names of Mercury's quadrangles conventionally derive from prominent local features. Discovery Quadrangle's namesake is Discovery Rupes. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) themes rupes (Latin: rūpēs, "cliff, escarpment") after "ships of discovery or scientific expeditions," according to the IAU's U.S.G.S. (U.S. Geological Survey) Astrogeology Science Center-maintained, online Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The escarpment's name, approved in 1976, honors the HMS Discovery, the ship commanded by Royal Navy officer Captain Charles Clerke (Aug. 22, 1741-Aug. 22, 1779) during the third and last expedition to the Pacific Ocean (July 12, 1776-Oct. 4, 1780) conducted by 18th-century British explorer Captain James Cook FRS (Nov. 7, 1728-Feb. 14, 1779).

Discovery Rupes is centered at minus 54.7 degrees south latitude, 37.24 degrees west longitude, according to the IAU's U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center-maintained Gazetter of Planetary Nomenclature. The southern hemisphere escarpment's northernmost and southernmost latitudes extend to minus 50.57 degrees south and minus 58.1 degrees south, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes reach 33.65 degrees west and 42.66 degrees west, respectively. Discovery Rupes has a diameter, or length, of 412 kilometers.

The escarpment's northeast-to-southwest trend cuts across Rameau Crater. The crater's name, approved in 1976, honors 18th-century French composer and music theorist Jean-Philippe Rameau (Sept. 25, 1683-Sept. 12, 1764).

Rameau Crater is centered at minus 54.58 degrees south latitude, 37.24 degrees west longitude. The southern hemisphere crater obtains northernmost and southernmost latitudes of minus 53.9 degrees south and minus 55.26 degrees south, respectively. It posts easternmost and westernmost longitudes of 36.06 degrees west and 38.41 degrees west, respectively. Rameau Crater has a diameter of 58 kilometers.

Two additional rupes associated with Captain Cook are located near Discovery Rupes in rupes-rich Discovery Quadrangle. Adventure Rupes and Resolution Rupes lie to the southwest of Discovery Rupes.

Resolution Rupes is sited to the southwest of Discovery Rupes and to the northeast of Adventure Rupes. The escarpment's name, approved in 1976, honors the HMS Resolution, the Royal Navy sloop commanded by Captain Cook during his second (July 13, 1772-July 30, 1775) and third (July 12, 1776-Oct. 4, 1780) expeditions to the Pacific Ocean.

Resolution Rupes is centered at minus 63.25 degrees south latitude, 50.66 degrees west longitude. The southern hemisphere rupes finds its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 62.11 degrees south and minus 64.15 degrees south, respectively. It marks its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 48.62 degrees west and 53.72 degrees west, respectively. Resolution Rupes has a diameter, or length, of 139 kilometers.

Adventure Rupes is situated as the southernmost of Discovery Quadrangle's three Cook-associated rupes. Adventure Rupes lies to the southwest of nearby Resolution Rupes and distant Discovery Rupes. The escarpment's name, approved in 1976, honors HMS Adventure, the Royal Navy barque commanded by English navigator and Royal Navy officer Captain Tobias Furneaux (Aug. 21, 1735-Sept. 18, 1781) during Captain Cook's second expedition to the Pacific Ocean (July 13, 1772-July 30, 1775).

Adventure Rupes is centered at minus 65.48 degrees south latitude, 65.3 degrees west longitude. The southern hemisphere escarpment establishes northernmost and southernmost latitudes of minus 63.5 degrees south and minus 65.56 degrees south, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes occur at 58.39 degrees west and 72.78 degrees west, respectively. Adventure Rupes has a diameter, or length, of 340 kilometers.

In their article, "Large-Scale Lobate Scarps in the Southern Hemisphere of Mercury," in the December 2001 issue of Planetary and Space Science, planetary geologist Thomas Robert Watters and two co-authors noted the formation of the three Cook-associated escarpments by thrust faults that traced a "rough arc" over 1,000 kilometers. According to a digital elevation model derived from NASA's Mariner 10 images, the three landforms experienced vertical uplift on the same side; this new topography suggests a dip to the arc's concave side by the fault-planes. The scientists suggested that the formation of Adventure and Resolution Rupes by a "single thrust fault" accords with this data-supported topographical continuity of the two escarpments. As such, the Adventure-Resolution Rupes thrust fault and the Discovery Rupes thrust fault would have exhibited scale comparability.

Rupes-rich Discovery Quadrangle shares border with five neighbors. Kuiper (H-6) and Beethoven (H-7) quadrangles occur as Discovery Quadrangle's northern neighbors. Debussy Quadrangle (H-14) neighbors along Discovery Quadrangle's eastern border. The southern hemisphere's polar quadrangle, Bach, is contiguous with Discovery Quadrangle's southern border. Michelangelo Quadrangle (H-12) shares Discovery Quadrangle's western border.

The takeaways for Discovery Quadrangle as the 11th of 15 quadrangles of the Mercurian surface are that the middle-latitude quadrangle's namesake is Discovery Rupes, which honors the HMS Discovery, the consort ship of HMS Resolution on British explorer Captain James Cook's third and last Pacific Ocean expedition; that the rupes-rich quadrangle honors Captain Cook with two additional rupes; and that Discovery Quadrangle counts five neighbors, with Kuiper and Beethoven quadrangles to the north, Debussy Quadrangle to the east, Bach Quadrangle to the south and Michelangelo Quadrangle to the west.

Detail of Map of the H-11 (Discovery) Quadrangle of Mercury shows the quadrangle's namesake, Discovery Rupes (upper center) in its northwest-southeast trending cut across Rameau Crater and associated Captain James Cook-honoring escarpments, Resolution Rupes and Adventure Rupes (lower left); 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:

Map of Discovery Quadrangle shows area of southern midlatitude illuminated during the Mariner 10 robotic space probe's three Mercury flybys (March 29, 1974; Sept. 21, 1974; march 16, 1975), with notation of "area of darkness" for easternmost 15 degrees; Geologic Map of the Discovery Quadrangle of Mercury by (1984) by Newell J. Trask and Daniel Dzurisin, prepared on behalf of the Planetary Geology Program, Planetary Division, Office of Space Science, National Aeronautics and Space Administration: via USGS Publications Warehouse @ https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/i1658; 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-Discovery-Quadrangle

Detail of Map of the H-11 (Discovery) Quadrangle of Mercury shows the quadrangle's namesake, Discovery Rupes (upper center) in its northwest-southeast trending cut across Rameau Crater and associated Captain James Cook-honoring escarpments, Resolution Rupes and Adventure Rupes (lower left); 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-11.pdf

For further information:

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