Three Named Craters Distinguish Central Floor in Gusev Crater on Mars

Summary: The three named craters of Castril, Crivitz and Thira distinguish the central floor in the Martian southern hemisphere's Gusev Crater.

Detail from Aeolis, MC-23, shows (left to right) Crivitz, Castril and Thira as three floor craters in central Gusev Crater in the Martian southern hemisphere; Base image: THEMIS IR Day mosaic by USGS, ASU Margin image: THEMIS IR Global Mosac v11.6, ASU Colorized Topography: MOLA Elevation Model, GSFC Date of Last Nomenclature Update: Nov. 9, 2022: via IAU (International Astronomical Union) and USGS ASC (U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center)

The three named craters of Castril, Crivitz and Thira distinguish the central floor of Gusev Crater, a large impact crater located in the Aeolis quadrangle in the Martian southern hemisphere.

Gusev Crater occurs in the southeastern quadrant of Aeolis quadrangle. Designated as Mars Chart 23 (MC-23), the Aeolis quadrangle numbers among the 30 cartographic quadrangles of the Martian surface created by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Gusev Crater is centered at minus 14.53 degrees south latitude, 175.52 degrees west longitude, according to the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The impact crater achieves its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 13.20 degrees south and minus 15.86 degrees south, respectively. It attains its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 176.91 degrees east and 174.15 degrees east, respectively. Gusev Crater's diameter spans 158.12 kilometers.

Castril, Crivitz and Thira distinguish Gusev Crater's central interior as three variously-sized floor craters. Crivitz is positioned as the trio's westernmost component. Castril dips approximately midway between Crivitz and the trio's easternmost member, Thira.

Crivitz Crater is centered at minus 14.55 degrees south latitude, 174.79 degrees east longitude. The trio's westernmost crater finds its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 14.50 degrees south and minus 14.60 degrees south, respectively. It obtains its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 174.85 degrees east and 174.74 degrees east, respectively. Crivitz Crater has a diameter of 6.19 kilometers.

Castril Crater is sited southeast of Crivitz Crater and southwest of Thira Crater. Castril Crater is centered at minus 14.70 degrees south latitude, 175.30 degrees east longitude. The trio's middle member establishes its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 14.68 degrees south and minus 14.72 degrees south, respectively. It marks its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 175.32 degrees east and 175.28 degrees east, respectively. Castril Crater's diameter of 2.19 kilometers qualifies it as the trio's smallest crater.

Thira Crater (center left) is large crater on Gusev Crater's central interior floor in southward-looking simulated view of mosaic obtained by 2001 Mars Odyssey robotic spacecraft orbiter camera system; large ancient river channel Ma'adim Vallis (top left) enters Gusev by breaching southeastern rim's New Plymouth Crater (top center, at Ma'adim's west bank); mosaic's daytime infrared images of Gusev Crater, which cover approximately 180 kilometers (110 miles) on each side, is centered near minus 14 degrees south latitude, 175 degrees east longitude; image credit NASA/JPL-Caltech/Arizona State University; Thursday, March 13, 2003: via NASA Science Mars Exploration

Thira Crater's placement on Gusev Crater's central eastern floor qualifies as the trio's most northerly- and most easterly-positioned member. Thira Crater's interior floor presents "smooth volcanic plains," according to planetary geologists David A. Crown, James W. Rice, Steven W. Ruff and Stephen P. Scheidt and senior research associate Frank C. Chuang in "Geologic Mapping of Gusev Crater, Mars: Gusev Rim and Floor Characteristics," presented at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and U.S. Geological Survey's 2021 Annual Meeting of Planetary Geologic Mappers (PGM), which was held virtually Monday, June 14, to Tuesday, June 15.

Thira Crater is centered at minus 14.47 degrees south latitude, 175.98 degrees east longitude. It registers its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 14.29 degrees south and minus 14.66 degrees south, respectively. It records its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at 176.17 degrees east and 175.79 degrees east, respectively. Thira Crater's diameter of 21.84 kilometers qualifies it as the trio's largest crater.

Gusev Crater's name honors 19th-century Russian astronomer Matvey Matveyevich Gusev (Russian: Матве́й Матве́евич Гу́сев; Nov. 28 [O.S. Nov. 16], 1826-April 22 [O.S. April 10], 1866). Gusev Crater received formal name approval in 1976 during the International Astronomical Union’s XVIth (16th) General Assembly, which was held Tuesday, Aug. 24, to Tuesday, Sept. 21, in Grenoble, France.

Interior crater Thira's name honors the "Town on Santorini Island in the Aegean Sea," according to the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Thira is the capital (Ancient Greek: Θήρα, Thira) of Santorini (Ancient Greek: Σαντορίνη, Santorini), the largest island in the south Aegean Sea's Santorini archipelago. The approval was dated 1997, during the IAU's XXIII (23rd) General Assembly, which was held Monday, Aug. 18, to Saturday, Aug. 30, in Kyoto, Japan.

Crivitz honors the "Town in Germany." Criviz is located in northeastern Germany's state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania). The crater's German town-honoring name was approved in 2003. The IAU's XXV (25th) General Assembly was held from Saturday, July 12, to Saturday, July 26, 2003, in Sydney, Australia.

Castril honors the "Town in Spain." Castril is a municipality in Southern Spain's province of Granada (Spanish: Provincia de Granada). Castril received name approval in 2006. The IAU's XXVI (26th) General Assembly was held in Prague, Czech Republic, from Monday, Aug. 14, to Saturday, Aug. 25, 2006.

Overhead view, obtained by 2001 Mars Odyssey robotic orbiter's Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), suggests Thira Crater's youthfulness with smooth volcanic plains and defined edges and features (upper right) in contrast with possibly buried crater (lower left); Castril Crater lies north of buried crater and west-southwest of Thira Crater; NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Photojournal, "PIA06019: A Buried Crater?" Image Credit: NASA/JPL/ASU. Image Addition Date: 2004-06-03: via NASA JPL Photojournal

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

Detail from Aeolis, MC-23, shows (left to right) Crivitz, Castril and Thira as three floor craters in central Gusev Crater in the Martian southern hemisphere; Base image: THEMIS IR Day mosaic by USGS, ASU Margin image: THEMIS IR Global Mosac v11.6, ASU Colorized Topography: MOLA Elevation Model, GSFC Date of Last Nomenclature Update: Nov. 9, 2022: via IAU (International Astronomical Union) and USGS ASC (U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center) @ https://asc-planetarynames-data.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/mc23_2014.pdf

Thira Crater (center left) is large crater on Gusev Crater's central interior floor in southward-looking simulated view of mosaic obtained by 2001 Mars Odyssey robotic spacecraft orbiter camera system; large ancient river channel Ma'adim Vallis (top left) enters Gusev by breaching southeastern rim's New Plymouth Crater (top center, at Ma'adim's west bank); mosaic's daytime infrared images of Gusev Crater, which cover approximately 180 kilometers (110 miles) on each side, is centered near minus 14 degrees south latitude, 175 degrees east longitude; image credit NASA/JPL-Caltech/Arizona State University; Thursday, March 13, 2003: via NASA Science Mars Exploration @ https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/7647/gusev-crater/

Overhead view, obtained by 2001 Mars Odyssey robotic orbiter's Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), suggests Thira Crater's youthfulness with smooth volcanic plains and defined edges and features (upper right) in contrast with possibly buried crater (lower left); Castril Crater lies north of buried crater and west-southwest of Thira Crater; NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Photojournal, "PIA06019: A Buried Crater?" Image Credit: NASA/JPL/ASU. Image Addition Date: 2004-06-03: via NASA JPL Photojournal @ https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06019

For further information:

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/1051

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Crivitz.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > Mars > Mars. Last updated Nov. 17, 2010 9:58 a.m.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/1335

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Gusev.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > Mars > Mars. Last updated Nov. 17, 2010 9:58 a.m.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/Gusev

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. “Thira.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > Mars > Mars. Last updated Nov. 17, 2010 9:58 a.m.
Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/5973

Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "PIA06019: A Buried Crater?" NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Photojournal. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/ASU. Image Addition Date: 2004-06-03.
Available via NASA JPL Photojournal @ https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06019

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