Kerwan (crater)

Kerwan (/ˈkɜːrwən/) is the largest confirmed crater and geological feature on Ceres. It was discovered on February 19, 2015 from Dawn images as it approached Ceres. The crater is distinctly shallow for its size, and lacks a central peak. A central peak might have been destroyed by a 15-kilometer-wide crater at the center of Kerwan. The crater is likely to be old relative to the rest of Ceres's surface, as it is overlapped by nearly every other feature in the area.

Kerwan
Kerwan crater. North is to the right.
Feature typeCrater
LocationCeres
Coordinates11.47°S 122.58°E / -11.47; 122.58
Diameter283.88 km
Depth~5 km
EponymKerwan, Hopi spirit of the sprouting maize[1]

The crater is named after the Hopi spirit of sprouting maize, Kerwan. The name was approved by the IAU on July 3, 2015.[1]

See also

References

  1. "Planetary Names: Crater, craters: Kerwan on Ceres". planetarynames.wr.usgs.go. IAU. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
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