Veles Is Large Ringed Feature on Titan's Anti-Saturn Side

Summary: Veles is a large ringed feature on Titan's anti-Saturn side that lies in eastern Shangri-La, a dark albedo feature in the equatorial belt.

Detail of Titan With ISS (Imaging Science Subsystem) Background shows Veles with nearest named northern neighbors Vis Facula and Tortola Facula; nearest named western neighbor Santori Facul (upper right); nearest named southwestern neighbor Kerguelen Facula (center); and nearest named large ringed feature Guabonito (lower center) in eastern Shangri-La: map credit NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute, via IAU/USGS Astrogeology Science Center Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature

Veles is a large ringed feature on Titan's anti-Saturn side that lies in eastern Shangri-La, a dark albedo feature centered in the southern equatorial belt.

Veles is centered at 2 degrees north latitude, 137.3 degrees west longitude, according to the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The large ringed feature obtains northernmost and southernmost latitudes of 2.4 degrees north and 1.6 degrees north, respectively. It posts easternmost and westernmost longitudes of 136.9 degrees west and 137.8degrees west, respectively. Veles has a diameter of 45 kilometers.

Veles resides in eastern Shangri-La. Shangri-La is centered at minus 10 degrees south latitude, 165 degrees west longitude. The bright albedo feature's center latitude and longitude are repeated as its northernmost-southernmost latitudes and a sits easternmost-westernmost longitudes, respectively.

The large ringed feature's location in the eastern reaches of Sangri-La place it near Shangri-La's border with bright albedo feature Xanadu. Highly reflective Xanadu is centered at minus 15 degrees south latitude, 100 degrees west longitude. Xanadu marks its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at 10 degrees north and minus 40 degrees south, respectively. It establishes its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 65 degrees west and 150 degrees west, respectively. Xanadu's diameter spans 3,400 kilometers.

Vis Facula resides in nearest, named northern proximity to Veles. The bright spot (Latin: facula, "little torch") is centered at 7 degrees north latitude, 138.4 degrees west longitude. Its northernmost and southernmost latitudes occur at 8.3 degrees north and 5.5 degrees north, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes occur at 136.3 degrees west and 141.4 degrees west, respectively. Vis Facula's diameter spans 215 kilometers.

Tortola Facula qualifies as the nearest, named northwestern neighbor of large ringed feature Veles. Tortola Facula lies to the northwest of Vis Facula.

Tortola Facula is centered at 8.8 degrees north latitude, 143.1 degrees west longitude. The bright spot records northernmost and southernmost latitudes of 9.2 degrees north and 8 degrees north, respectively. It registers easternmost and westernmost longitudes of 142.5 degrees west and 143.8 degrees west, respectively. Tortola Facula's diameter measures 65 kilometers.

Santorini Facula is sited to the west of Veles. Santorini Facula is centered at 2.4 degrees north latitude, 145.6 degrees west longitude. The bright spot's northernmost and southernmost latitudes touch 3.2 degrees north and 1.5 degrees north, respectively. It achieves its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 144.2 degrees west and 147 degrees west, respectively. Santorini Facula's diameter spans 140 kilometers.

Kerguelen Facula occurs as the nearest, named southwestern neighbor of large ringed feature Veles. The bright spot's location south of the equator qualifies it as the nearest, named neighbor of Veles in the southern hemisphere.

Kerguelen Facula is centered at minus 5.4 degrees south latitude, 151 degrees west longitude. The bright spot's northernmost and southernmost latitudes reach minus 4.3 degrees south and minus 7.4 degrees south, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes extend to 149.5 degrees west and 152.5 degrees west, respectively. Kerguelen Facula's diameter measures 135 kilometers.

Kerguelen Facula lies to the north of large ringed feature Guabonito. The large ringed feature is sited to the southwest of Veles, in eastern Shangri-La. Guabonito's location qualifies it as the only named large ringed feature that shares the same eastern Shangri-La neighborhood with Veles.

Guabonito is centered at minus 10.9 degrees south latitude, 150.8 degrees west longitude. The large ringed feature obtains northernmost and southernmost latitudes of minus 10.2 degrees south and minus 11.5 degrees south, respectively. It posts easternmost and westernmost longitudes of 149.8 degrees west and 151.3 degrees west, respectively. Guabonito has a diameter of 55 kilometers.

As large ringed features, Guabonito and Veles are defined as "Cryptic ringed features," according to the Descriptor Terms (Feature Types) page of the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The online gazetteer, established by The International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN), is maintained by The Planetary Geomatics Group of the United States Geological Survey's (USGS) Astrogeology Science Center maintains the online Gazetteer.

Guabonito and Veles form a quartet with two other named large ringed features. Nath and Paxsi, which are also equatorial belt occupants, lie distantly from Guabonito and Veles.

Nath resides to the southeast of Guabonito and Veles as a straddler of the southern equatorial belt's southernmost latitudes and the southern hemisphere's northernmost mid-latitudes. It is centered at minus 30.5 degrees south latitude, 7.7 degrees west longitude. The southern equatorial and mid-latitude occupant's northernmost and southernmost latitudes extend to minus 29.5 degrees south and minus 31.6 degrees south, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes touch 6.5 degrees west and 8.8 degrees west, respectively. Nath has a diameter of 95 kilometers.

Paxsi lies distantly to the northwest of Guabonito and to the west of Veles in the northern equatorial latitudes. It is centered at 5 degrees north latitude, 341.2 degrees west longitude. Paxsi's northernmost and southernmost latitudes occur at 6.7 degrees north and 3.7 degrees north, respectively. It obtains its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 339.8 degrees west and 342.6 degrees west, respectively. Paxsi has a diameter of 120 kilometers.

The International Astronomical Union approved Veles as the large ringed feature's official name in 2006. The Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature explains Veles as "Slavic god of housekeeping wisdom." Names for Titan's craters and ringed features recognize "Gods and goddesses of wisdom," according to the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature's documentation page, "Categories (Themes) for Naming Features on Planets and Satellites."

Detail of Titan With ISS (Imaging Science Subsystem) Background shows Guabonito (lower center) in eastern Shangri-La: map credit NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute, via IAU/USGS Astrogeology Science Center Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature

Acknowledgment

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

Dedication

This post is dedicated to the memory of our beloved blue-eyed brother, Charles, who guided the creation of the Met Opera and Astronomy posts on Earth and Space News. We memorialized our brother in "Our Beloved Blue-Eyed Brother, Charles, With Whom We Are Well Pleased," published on Earth and Space News on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, an anniversary of our beloved father's death.

Image credits:

Detail of Titan With ISS (Imaging Science Subsystem) Background shows dark albedo feature Shangri-La, homeland of large ringed features Guabonito and Veles, on Titan's anti-Saturn side: map credit NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute, via IAU/USGS Astrogeology Science Center Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/images/Titan_comp_ISSimage.pdf

Detail of Titan With ISS (Imaging Science Subsystem) Background shows Guabonito (lower center) in eastern Shangri-La: map credit NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute, via IAU/USGS Astrogeology Science Center Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/images/Titan_comp_ISSimage.pdf

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