Rheasilvia
Rheasilvia is the largest impact crater on the asteroid Vesta. It is in diameter, which is 90% the diameter of Vesta itself, and is 95% the mean diameter of Vesta, . However, the mean is affected by the crater itself. It is 89% the mean equatorial diameter of , making it one of the largest craters in the Solar System, and at 75°S latitude, covers most of the southern hemisphere. The peak in the center of the crater is in diameter, and rises from its base, making it one of the tallest mountains known in the Solar System.
Key facts
- Feature on celestial object.name
- Rheasilvia
- Feature on celestial object.image
- Vesta from Dawn, July 17.jpg
- Feature on celestial object.caption
- Southern hemisphere of Vesta as imaged by Dawn, showing Rheasilvia crater
- Feature on celestial object.location
- South polar region, Vesta
- Feature on celestial object.peak
- (central peak)
- Feature on celestial object.discoverer
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Feature on celestial object.eponym
- Rhea Silvia, a mythological vestal virgin and mother of the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
5 sectionsContents
- Observation and naming
- Characteristics
- Gallery
- See also
- References
Rheasilvia is the largest impact crater on the asteroid Vesta. It is in diameter, which is 90% the diameter of Vesta itself, and is 95% the mean diameter of Vesta, . However, the mean is affected by the crater itself. It is 89% the mean equatorial diameter of , making it one of the largest craters in the Solar System, and at 75°S latitude, covers most of the southern hemisphere. The peak in the center of the crater is in diameter, and rises from its base, making it one of the tallest mountains known in the Solar System.
== Observation and naming == Rheasilvia was discovered in Hubble Space Telescope images in 1997, but was not named until the arrival of the Dawn spacecraft in 2011. It is named after Rhea Silvia, a mythological vestal virgin and mother of the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. The name Rheasilvia was officially approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) on 30 September 2011.