Classical albedo features on Mars
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| Mars, as seen through a small telescope in 2003, showing the patterns of brightness and color known as albedo features. | |
The classical albedo features of Mars are the light and dark features that can be seen on the planet Mars through an Earth-based telescope. Before the age of space probes, several astronomers created maps of Mars on which they gave names to the features they could see. The most popular system of nomenclature was devised by Giovanni Schiaparelli, who used names from classical antiquity. Today, the improved understanding of Mars enabled by space probes has rendered many of the classical names obsolete for the purposes of cartography; however, some of the old names are still used to describe geographical features on the planet.
History
Observing albedo features
Early telescopic astronomers, observing Mars from a great distance through primitive instruments (though they were advanced for their day), were limited to studying albedo contrasts on the surface of the planet. These lighter and darker patches rarely correspond to topographic features and in many cases obscure them. The origins of the albedo contrasts were a mystery. The lighter patches at the poles were correctly believed to be a frozen substance, either water or carbon dioxide, but the nature of the dark patches seen against the general reddish tint of Mars was uncertain for centuries. When Giovanni Schiaparelli began observing Mars in 1877, he believed that the darker features were seas, lakes, and swamps and named them accordingly in Latin (mare, lacus, palus etc.). Within a few decades, however, most astronomers came to agree that Mars lacks large bodies of surface water. The dark features were then thought by some to be indications of Martian vegetation, since they changed shape and intensity over the course of the Martian year. They are now known to be areas where the wind has swept away the paler dust, exposing a darker surface, often basaltic rock; so their borders change in response to windstorms on the Martian surface that move the dust around, widening or narrowing the features.
The dust-storms themselves also appear as light patches, can cover vast areas and sometimes last for many weeks; when Mariner 9 arrived in Martian orbit in November 1971 the entire planet was covered by a single enormous dust-storm, with only the peaks of the four or five highest mountains showing above it. This variability may explain many of the differences between telescopic observations over the years.
Early non-classical names
The first map of Martian albedo features was published in 1840 by Johann Heinrich Mädler and Wilhelm Beer, but they simply labelled the features a, b, c ... without giving them names. Over the next two decades the most prominent features picked up various informal names (such as the Hourglass Sea for our Syrtis Major Planum) but there was no overall system.
The first astronomer to name Martian albedo features systematically was Richard A. Proctor, who in 1867 created a map (based in part on the observations of William Rutter Dawes) in which several features were given the names of astronomers who had been involved in mapping Mars. In some cases, the same names were used for multiple features. Proctor's names remained in use for several decades, notably in several early maps drawn by Camille Flammarion in 1876 and Nathaniel Green in 1877.
Schiaparelli's classical names
However, within a few decades Proctor's names were superseded by a new scheme devised by Giovanni Schiaparelli, whose observations differed from Proctor's, and who used this difference to justify drawing up an entirely new system of nomenclature. Schiaparelli was an expert on ancient astronomy and geography, and used Latin names, drawn from the myths, history and geography of classical antiquity; dark features were named after ancient seas and rivers, light areas after islands and legendary lands.
When E. M. Antoniadi took over as the leading telescopic observer of Mars in the early 20th century, he followed Schiaparelli's names rather than Proctor's, and the Proctorian names quickly became obsolete. In his encyclopedic work La Planète Mars (1930) Antoniadi used all Schiaparelli's names and added more of his own from the same classical sources. However, there was still no 'official' system of names for Martian features.
In 1958, the International Astronomical Union set up an ad hoc committee under Audouin Dollfus, which settled on a list of 128 officially recognised albedo features. Of these, 105 came from Schiaparelli, 2 from Flammarion, 2 from Percival Lowell, and 16 from Antoniadi, with an additional 3 from the committee itself. This involved a considerable amount of pruning; Antoniadi's La Planète Mars had mentioned 558 named features.[1][2][3]
The pictures returned by interplanetary spacecraft, notably the observations made from Martian orbit by Mariner 9 over the course of 1972, have revolutionized the scientific understanding of Mars, and some of the classical albedo features have become obsolete as they do not correspond clearly with the detailed images provided by the spacecraft. However, many of the names used for topographic features on Mars are still based on the classical nomenclature for the feature's location; for instance, the albedo feature 'Ascraeus Lacus' provides the basis of the name of the volcano Ascraeus Mons in roughly the same position.
In addition, since most Earth-based amateur telescopes are not powerful enough to resolve the topographic surface features of Mars, amateur astronomers still use many of the old feature-names to orient themselves and record their observations.
Common feature names
Several Latin words involved here are common nouns. These are generally, but not always, second in the name, but are usually ignored in alphabetizing below:
- Campi (/ˈkæmpaɪ/) - fields
- Cherso (/ˈkɜːrrsoʊ/) - peninsula
- Cornu (/ˈkɒrnjuː/) - horn, peninsula
- Depressio (/dᵻˈprɛʃioʊ/) - lowland
- Fastigium (/fæsˈtɪdʒiəm/) - summit
- Fons (/ˈfɒnz/) – fountain
- Fretum (/ˈfriːtəm/) – strait
- Insula (/ˈɪnsjᵿlə/) – island
- Lacus (/ˈleɪkəs/) - lake
- Lucus (/ˈljuːkəs/) - grove
- Mare (/ˈmɑːriː, ˈmɛəriː/) – sea
- Nix (/ˈnɪks/) – snow
- Palus (/ˈpeɪləs/) - marsh
- Pons (/ˈpɒnz/) – bridge
- Promontorium (/ˌprɒmənˈtɔəriəm/) – cape
- Regio (/ˈriːdʒioʊ/) - region
- Silva (/ˈsɪlvə/) - wood
- Sinus (/ˈsaɪnəs/) – bay
List of albedo features
Not listed here are the "canals" also observed and named by Schiaparelli, for which see the article Martian canals.
A
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning | Modern name(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abalos | /ˈæbəlɒs/ | A no-longer existent island in the North Sea, east of Heligoland | Abalos Colles, Abalos Mensa, Abalos Scopuli, Abalos Undae |
| Achæorum Portus | /ˌækiːˈɔərəm ˈpɔːrtəs/ | "Harbor of the Achaeans" | Obsolete |
| Acherusia Palus | /ˌækᵻˈruːʒiə ˈpeɪləs/ | "Marsh of Acherusia", named after the legendary swamps in Greek mythology | Obsolete |
| Achillis Pons | /əˈkɪlᵻs ˈpɒnz/ | "Bridge of Achilles" | Obsolete |
| Mare Acidalium | /ˈmɛəriː ˌæsᵻˈdeɪliəm/ | "Sea of Acidalia", named for the fountain Acidalia where the Graces bathed | Acidalia Colles, Acidalia Mensa, Acidalia Planitia |
| Æolis | /ˈiːəlᵻs/ | a modification of Aeolia, the name of the floating western island of Aiolos, the ruler of the winds | Aeolis Mensae, Aeolis Planum |
| Aëria | /eɪˈɪəriə/ | From a poetic name for Egypt | Aeria, IAU recognized albedo feature |
| Ætheria | /ᵻˈθɪəriə/ | – the land of the living, as referred to in Virgil's Aeneid | Aetheria, IAU recognized albedo feature |
| Æthiopis | /ᵻˈθaɪəpᵻs/ | Land of the Ethiopians | Aethiopis, IAU recognized albedo feature |
| Aganippe Fons | /ˌæɡəˈnɪpiː ˈfɒnz/ | "Aganippe's Fountain", legendary home of a Greek naiad | Aganippe Fossa |
| Alcyonia | /ˌælsiːˈoʊniə/ | Land of kingfishers. | Obsolete |
| Amazonis | /əˈmæzənᵻs/ | "Land of the Amazon", legendary warrior women | Amazonis Mensa, Amazonis Planitia, Amazonis Sulci |
| Amenthes | /əˈmɛnθiːz/ | Alternate name for Duat, the Egyptian land of the dead | Amenthes Cavi, Amenthes Fossae, Amenthes Planum, Amenthes Rupes |
| Ammonium | /əˈmoʊniəm/ | Ancient name for the Siwa Oasis | Obsolete |
| Mare Amphitrites | /ˈmɛəriː ˌæmfᵻˈtraɪtiːz/ | "Sea of Amphitrite", a Greek sea-goddess | Amphitrites Patera |
| Lucus Angitiæ | /ˈljuːkəs ænˈdʒɪʃɪiː/ | "Grove of Angitia", named after the snake goddess | Obsolete |
| Depressiones Aoniæ | /dᵻˌprɛʃiːˈoʊniːz eɪˈoʊniːi/ | "Lowlands of the Muses", who came from Helicon in Aonia | Obsolete |
| Aonius Sinus | /eɪˈoʊniəs ˈsaɪnəs/ | "Bay of the Muses" | Aonia Planum, Aonia Terra |
| Aponi Fons | /ˈæpənaɪ ˈfɒnz/ | Roman name for the Bagni d'Abano, warm-water baths near Padua | Obsolete |
| Aquæ Apollinares | /ˈeɪkwiː əˌpɒlᵻˈnɛəriːz/ | "Apollo's Waters"; Roman name for the Bagni di Stigliano baths in Canale Monterano, Tuscany | Obsolete |
| Aquæ Calidæ | /ˈeɪkwiː ˈkælᵻdiː/ | "Hot spring" | Obsolete |
| Aquarii Depressio | /əˈkwɛəriaɪ dᵻˈprɛʃioʊ/ | "Lowland of Aquarius" | Obsolete |
| Arabia | /əˈreɪbiə/ | Arabian peninsula | Arabia Terra |
| Arachoti Fons | /ˌærəˈkoʊtaɪ ˈfɒnz/ | "Fountain of Arachotus", a river in Afghanistan | Obsolete |
| Aram | /ˈɛərəm/ | Aram, Biblical land of the Aramaeans | Aram Chaos |
| Arcadia | /ɑːrˈkeɪdiə/ | From Arcadia, a region of the central Peloponnesus | Arcadia Dorsa, Arcadia Chaos |
| Arduenna | /ˌɑːrdjuːˈɛnə/ | Latin names for the Ardennes forests | Obsolete |
| Arethusa Fons | /ˌærᵻˈθjuːzə ˈfɒnz/ | "Arethusa's Fountain", after the Greek nymph | Obsolete |
| Ariadnes Depressio | /ˌæriˈædniːz dᵻˈprɛʃioʊ/ | "Lowland of Ariadne", a Greek heroine | Ariadnes Colles |
| Argyre I | /ˈɑːrdʒᵻriː ˈpraɪmə/ | One of a pair of legendary islands, Chryse and Argyre, located in the Indian Ocean and said to be made of gold and silver | Argyre Cavi, Argyre Planitia, Argyre Rupes, Argyre quadrangle |
| Argyre II | /ˈɑːrdʒᵻriː sᵻˈkʌndə/ | "Second Silver Land" (see above) | Obsolete |
| Argyroporos | /ˌɑːrdʒᵻˈrɒpərɒs/ | "Silver Strait" | Obsolete |
| Aromatum Promontorium | /əˈrɒmətəm ˌprɒmənˈtɔəriəm/ | "Cape of Fragrant Spices" | Aromatum Chaos |
| Arsia Silva | /ˈɑːrʃiə ˈsɪlvə/ | Arsia Silva, forest northwest of Rome where the Tarquinii were defeated | Arsia Chasmata, Arsia Mons, Arsia Sulci |
| Arsinoës Depressio | /ɑːrˈsɪnoʊiːz dᵻˈprɛʃioʊ/ | Lowland of Arsinoë, the name of various Greek and Egyptian figures | Arsinoes Chaos |
| Artynia Fons | /ɑːrˈtɪniə fɒnz/ | "Artynia's Fountain", referring to Lake Artynia in Asia Minor | Artynia Catena |
| Aryn Promontorium | /ˈɛərᵻn ˌprɒmənˈtɔəriəm/ | "Cape of Aryn" | Obsolete |
| Fastigium Aryn | /fæsˈtɪdʒiəm ˈɛərᵻn/ | "Summit of Aryn" | Obsolete |
| Ascræus Lacus | /æsˈkriːəs ˈleɪkəs/ | "Ascraeus Lake", a poetic paraphase of "heliconian" or "rural" | Ascraeus Chasmata, Ascraeus Mons, Ascraeus Sulci |
| Astræ Lacus | /ˈæstriː ˈleɪkəs/ | "Lake of the Astra", Greek star-gods | Obsolete |
| Atalantes Depressio | /ætˈlæntiːz dᵻˈprɛʃioʊ/ | Lowland of Atalanta, Greek heroine | Obsolete |
| Nix Atlantica | /ˈnɪks ætˈlæntᵻkə/ | "Snows of Atlas", a Titan in Greek mythology | Obsolete |
| Atlantidum Sinus | /ætˈlæntᵻdəm ˈsaɪnəs/ | "Bay of the Atlantises" (just south of Atlantis I and II, see below) | Obsolete |
| Atlantis I | /ætˈlæntᵻs ˈpraɪmə/ | "First Atlantis", mythical drowned land | Atlantis Chaos |
| Atlantis II | /ætˈlæntᵻs sᵻˈkʌndə/ | "Second Atlantis" (see above) | Atlantis Chaos |
| Augila | /ˈɔːdʒᵻlə/ | Awjila, a city in Cyrenaica | Obsolete |
| Aurea Cherso | /ˈɔːriə ˈkɜːrrsoʊ/ | "Golden Peninsula", ancient name for the Malay Peninsula | Obsolete |
| Aureum Cornu | /ˈɔːriəm ˈkɔːrnjuː/ | "Golden Horn", inlet dividing Constantinople | Aureum Chaos |
| Auroræ Sinus | /ɒˈrɔəriː ˈsaɪnəs/ | "Bay of the Dawn" | Aurorae Planum, Aurorae Chaos |
| Ausonia | /ɒˈzoʊniə/ | From a poetic name for Italy | Ausonia Cavus, Ausonia Mensa, Ausonia Montes |
| Mare Australe | /ˈmɛəriː ɒsˈtreɪliː/ | "Southern Sea" | Chasma Australe, Australe Lingula, Australe Mensa, Australe Montes, Planum Australe, Australe Scopuli, Australe Sulci, Mare Australe quadrangle |
B-E
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltia | /ˈbælʃiə/ | From a name for the regions near the Baltic Sea | Baltia, IAU recognized albedo feature |
| Bandusiæ Fons | /bænˈdjuːʒɪiː ˈfɒnz/ | "Fountain of Bandusia", title of a poem by Horace | Obsolete |
| Bathys Portus | /ˈbeɪθᵻs ˈpɔːrtəs/ | "Deep Harbor", the port of Aulis in Boeotia | Bathys Planum, changed to Icaria Planum |
| Benacus Lacus | /bᵻˈneɪkəs ˈleɪkəs/ | "Lake Benacus" (Lago di Garda in northern Italy) | Obsolete |
| Biblis Fons | /ˈbɪblᵻs ˈfɒnz/ | "Biblis Fountain", a Carian well near Miletus | Biblis Patera, Biblis Tholus |
| Bosporium Promontorium | /bɒsˈpɔəriəm ˌprɒmənˈtɔəriəm/ | "Cape of the Bosphorus" | |
| Bosporus/Bosphorus Gemmatus | /ˈbɒspərəs, ˈbɒsfərəs dʒᵻˈmeɪtəs/ | "Bejewelled Bosphorus" | Bosporos Planum, Bosporus Regio, Bosporos Rupes |
| Brangæna | /brænˈdʒiːnə/ | Obsolete | |
| Castalia Fons | /kæsˈteɪliə fɒnz/ | ||
| Cebrenia | /sᵻˈbriːniə/ | Land of Cebrenia near Troy | Cebrenia quadrangle |
| Cecropia | /sᵻˈkroʊpiə/ | "Land of Cecrops" | |
| Ceraunius | /sᵻˈrɔːniəs/ | ||
| Chalce | /ˈkælsiː/ | ||
| Charitum Promontorium | /ˈkærᵻtəm ˌprɒmənˈtɔəriəm/ | "Cape of the Graces" | |
| Chironis Fretum | /kaɪˈroʊnᵻs ˈfriːtəm/ | "Strait of Chiron" | |
| Mare Chronium | /ˈmɛəriː ˈkroʊniəm/ | ||
| Chryse | /ˈkraɪsiː/ | One of a pair of legendary islands, Chryse and Argyre, located in the Indian Ocean and said to be made of gold and silver | Chryse Planitia |
| Chrysokeras | /krᵻˈsɒkᵻrəs/ | The Golden Horn | |
| Cimmeria Insula | /sᵻˈmɪəriə ˈɪnsjᵿlə/ | "Cimmerian Island" | |
| Mare Cimmerium | /ˈmɛəriː sᵻˈmɪəriəm/ | "Cimmerian Sea", named after an ancient Thracian seafaring people | Terra Cimmeria |
| Circaeum Promontorium | /sərˈsiːəm ˌprɒmənˈtɔəriəm/ | "Cape of Circe" | |
| Clepsydra Fons | /klɛpˈsaɪdrə ˈfɒnz/ | "Water-clock fountain", a well in the Athenian acropolis. | |
| Coracis Portus | /ˈkɒrəsᵻs ˈpɔːrtəs/ | "Haven of Corax" | |
| Cyane Fons | /ˈsaɪəniː ˈfɒnz/ | "Cyane fountain", a spring in Sicily from which the Cyane river sprang, named for a nymph. | |
| Cydonia | /saɪˈdoʊniə/ | poetic name for Crete | Cydonia, Cydonia Mensae, Cydonia Labyrinthus, Cydonia Colles |
| Cynia Lacus | |||
| Danaïdum Depressio | /dəˈneɪədəm dᵻˈprɛʃioʊ/ | "Lowland of the daughters of Danaüs" | |
| Daphne | /ˈdæfniː/ | From Daphne ("bay laurel"), a nymph pursued by Apollo. | |
| Deucalionis Regio | /ˌdjᵿkeɪliːˈoʊnᵻs ˈriːdʒioʊ/ | "Region of Deucalion" | |
| Dia | /ˈdaɪə/ | An island north of Crete | |
| Diacria | /daɪˈeɪkriə/ | Diacria highlands around Marathon | Diacria quadrangle |
| Dioscuria | /ˌdaɪəsˈkjᵿəriə/ | "Land of the Dioscuri" | |
| Eden | /ˈiːdən/ | From Eden, the biblical paradise | |
| Edom | /ˈiːdəm/ | From Edom, an ancient kingdom in modern Jordan | |
| Edom Promontorium | /ˈidəm ˌprɒmənˈtɔəriəm/ | "Cape of Edom" | |
| Electris | /ᵻˈlɛktrᵻs/ | The principal island of the "Electrides", islands said to produce amber. | |
| Elysium | /ᵻˈlɪʒiəm/ | From Elysium, the Greek land of dead heroes | Elysium Planitia, Elysium Mons, Elysium Fossae, Elysium quadrangle |
| Eridania | /ˌɛrᵻˈdeɪniə/ | Land of the River Eridanus | Eridania quadrangle |
| Mare Erythræum | /ˈmɛəriː ˌɛrᵻˈθriːəm/ | "Red Sea" |
F-L
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Famæ Depressio | /ˈfeɪmiː dᵻˈprɛʃioʊ/ | "Lowland of Fame" | |
| Ferentinæ Lucus | /ˌfɛrᵻnˈtaɪniː ˈljuːkəs/ | "Grove of Ferentina" | |
| Lucus Feronia | "Grove of Wild Beasts" | ||
| Flevo Lacus | /ˈfliːvoʊ ˈleɪkəs/ | ||
| Gallinaria Silva | /ˌɡælᵻˈnɛəriə ˈsɪlvə/ | ||
| Mare Hadriaticum | /ˈmɛəriː ˌheɪdriːˈætᵻkəm/ | "Adriatic Sea" Aka Hadriaticum Mare | |
| Hammonis Cornu | /həˈmoʊnᵻs ˈkɔːrnjuː/ | "Horn of Ammon" | |
| Hellas | /ˈhɛləs/ | "Greece" | Hellas Planitia, Hellas Montes, Hellas quadrangle |
| Heræum Promontorium | /hᵻˈriːəm ˌprɒmənˈtɔəriəm/ | "Cape of Hera" | |
| Hercynia Silva | /hɜːrrˈsɪniə ˈsɪlvə/ | Hercynian Forest | |
| Herculis Columnæ | /ˈhɜːrrkjᵿlᵻs kɒˈlʌmni/ | "Pillars of Hercules" | |
| Herculis Pons | /ˈhɜːrrkjᵿlᵻs ˈpɒnz/ | "Bridge of Hercules" | |
| Hesperia | /hɛsˈpɪəriə/ | "Land of the Setting Sun" | Hesperia Planum |
| Hesperidum Lacus | /hɛsˈpɛrᵻdəm ˈleɪkəs/ | "Lake of the Hesperides | |
| Hibe | /ˈhaɪbiː/ | ||
| Hippocrene Fons | /ˌhɪpəˈkriːniː ˈfɒnz/ | "Fountain of Hippocrene", near Mount Helicon | |
| Hipponitis Palus | |||
| Horarum Promontorium | /hɒˈrɛərəm ˌprɒmənˈtɔəriəm/ | "Cape of the Hours" | |
| Hypelaus | /ˌhɪpᵻˈliːəs/ | A fountain in Ephesus. | |
| Iapygia | /ˌaɪəˈpɪdʒiə/ | Salento in Italy, ancient home of the Iapyges | Iapygia quadrangle |
| Icaria | /aɪˈkɛəriə/ | Icaria Fossae, Icaria Planum | |
| Mare Icarium | /ˈmɛəriː aɪˈkɛəriəm/ | ||
| Ierne | /aɪˈɜːrrniː/ | A name for Ireland | |
| Isidis Regio | /ˈɪsᵻdᵻs ˈriːdʒioʊ/ | "Region of Isis" | Isidis Planitia |
| Ismenius Lacus | /ᵻzˈmiːniəs ˈleɪkəs/ | a.k.a. Lacus Ismenius | |
| Jani Fretum | /ˈdʒeɪnaɪ ˈfriːtəm/ | "Strait of Janus" | Iani Chaos |
| Juventæ Fons | /dʒʊˈvɛntiː ˈfɒnz/ | "Fountain of Youth" a.k.a. Fons Juventæ | |
| Labeatis Lacus | /leɪbiːˈeɪtᵻs ˈleɪkəs/ | Lake of the Labeates, a people of Illyria | |
| Lausonius Lacus | |||
| Lemuria | /lᵻˈmjʊəriə/ | From Lemuria, a fictional sunken land in the Pacific or Indian Ocean | |
| Lerne | /ˈlɜːrrniː/ | ||
| Libya | /ˈlɪbiə/ | "Libya" | Libya Montes |
| Lucrinus Lacus | The Lucrine Lake in Roman Italy | ||
| Lunæ Lacus | /ˈljuːniː ˈleɪkəs/ | "Lake of the Moon" a.k.a. Lacus Lunæ | Lunae Palus quadrangle |
M-N
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning | Modern name(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mæisia Silva | |||
| Mapharitis | |||
| Mareotis | /ˌmæriːˈoʊtᵻs/ | "Land about Mareota", in Lower Egypt. | |
| Margaritifer Sinus | /ˌmɑːrɡəˈrɪtᵻfər ˈsaɪnəs/ | "Pearlbearing Bay" | Margaritifer Terra, Margaritifer Sinus quadrangle |
| Lucus Maricæ | /ˈljuːkəs məˈraɪsiː/ | "Grove of Maríca", a nymph of Latium. | |
| Memnonia | /mɛmˈnoʊniə/ | "Land of Memnon" | Memnonia quadrangle |
| Meroë Insula | /ˈmɛroʊiː ˈɪnsjᵿlə/ | "Island of Meroe" | |
| Messeis Fons | |||
| Lacus Mœris | /ˈleɪkəs ˈmɪərᵻs/ | Lake Moeris, a lake in the Egyptian Fayum | |
| Mons Argenteus | /ˈmɒnz ɑːrˈdʒɛntiəs/ | "Silver mountain" | |
| Neith Regio | /ˈniːθ ˈriːdʒioʊ/ | "Region of Neith" | |
| Nepheles Depressio | /ˈnɛfᵻliːz dᵻˈprɛʃioʊ/ | "Lowland of cloud" | |
| Nereïdum Promontorium | /nᵻˈriːᵻdəm ˌprɒmənˈtɔəriəm/ | "Cape of the Nereids | |
| Nerigos | /ˈnɛrᵻɡɒs/ | Name of a fictional country, supposedly in or near Scandinavia | |
| Nessonis Lacus | |||
| Niliacus Lacus | /nᵻˈlaɪəkəs ˈleɪkəs/ | "Lake of the Nile" | |
| Nitriæ | /ˈnaɪtrɪiː/ | ||
| Nix Atlantica | /ˈnɪks ætˈlæntᵻkə/ | "Atlantic Snow" | |
| Nix Olympica | /ˈnɪks ɒˈlɪmpᵻkə/ | "Olympian Snow" | Olympus Mons |
| Noachis | /ˈnoʊəkᵻs/ | "Land of Noah" | Noachis quadrangle, Noachis Terra |
| Nodus Gordii | /ˈnoʊdəs ˈɡɔːrdiaɪ/ | "Gordian Knot" | |
| Noti Sinus | /ˈnoʊtaɪ ˈsaɪnəs/ | "Bay of Notus" | |
| Novissima Thyle | /noʊˈvɪsᵻmə ˈθaɪli/ | "Newest Thule" | |
| Nuba Lacus | /ˈnjuːbə ˈleɪkəs/ |
O-S
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mare Oceanidum | /ˈmɛəriː ˌoʊʃiːˈænᵻdəm/ | "Sea of the Oceanids" | |
| Octantis Depressio | /ɒkˈtæntᵻs dᵻˈprɛʃioʊ/ | "Lowland of Octans" | |
| Œnotria | /ᵻˈnoʊtriə/ | ||
| Ogygis Regio | /ˈɒdʒᵻdʒᵻs ˈriːdʒioʊ/ | "Region of Ogyges" | |
| Ophir | /ˈoʊfər/ | From Ophir, a biblical land of gold | |
| Ortygia | /ɔːrˈtɪdʒiə/ | ||
| Oxia Palus | /ˈɒkʃiə ˈpeɪləs/ | Oxeia, a Greek Island in Ionian Sea | Oxia Palus quadrangle |
| Palicorum Lacus | /ˌpælᵻˈkɔərəm ˈleɪkəs/ | ||
| Palinuri Fretum | /ˌpælᵻˈnjʊəraɪ ˈfriːtəm/ | "Strait of Palinurus" | |
| Palinuri Sinus | /ˌpælᵻˈnjʊəraɪ ˈsaɪnəs/ | "Bay of Palinurus" | |
| Pallas Lacus | /ˌpæləs ˈleɪkəs/ | ||
| Panchaia | /pæŋˈkeɪə/ | From the name of an island supposed to be in South Arabia | |
| Phaëthontis | /ˌfeɪᵻˈθɒntᵻs/ | "Land of Phaethon or Phaethon (son of Eos)" | Phaethontis quadrangle |
| Phlegra | /ˈfliːɡrə/ | From a district in Macedonia. | |
| Campi Phlegræi | /ˈkæmpaɪ flᵻˈɡriːaɪ/ | "Fields of Phlegra" | |
| Phœnicis Lacus | /fᵻˈnaɪsᵻs ˈleɪkəs/ | "Lake of the Phoenix" a.k.a. Lacus Phœnicis | Phoenicis Lacus quadrangle |
| Phrixi Regio | /ˈfrɪksaɪ ˈriːdʒioʊ/ | "Region of Phrixus" | |
| Piscis Depressio | /ˈpaɪsᵻs dᵻˈprɛʃioʊ/ | "Depression of the Fish" | |
| Depressio Pontica | /dᵻˈprɛʃioʊ ˈpɒntᵻkə/ | "Lowland of Pontus" | |
| Promethei Sinus | /proʊˈmiːθiaɪ ˈsaɪnəs/ | "Bay of Prometheus" | Promethei Terra |
| Propontis | /proʊˈpɒntᵻs/ | From an old name for the Sea of Marmara | |
| Protei Regio | /ˈproʊtiaɪ ˈriːdʒioʊ/ | "Region of Proteus" | |
| Pyrrhæ Regio | /ˈpɪri ˈriːdʒioʊ/ | "Region of Pyrrha" | |
| Sinus Sabæus | /ˈsaɪnəs səˈbiːəs/ | "Bay of Sheba" Aka Sabaeus Sinus | Terra Sabaea, Sinus Sabaeus quadrangle |
| Scandia | /ˈskændiə/ | From a name for Skåne or Scandinavia | |
| Scheria Insula | /ˈskɪəriə ˈɪnsjᵿlə/ | "Scheria Island" | |
| Semiramidis Lacus | /ˌsɛmᵻˈræmᵻdᵻs ˈleɪkəs/ | "Lake of Semiramis" | |
| Serapium | |||
| Simoëntis Sinus | /ˌsɪmoʊˈɛntᵻs ˈsaɪnəs/ | "Bay of Simois" | |
| Sirbonis Lacus | |||
| Mare Sirenum | /ˈmɛəriː saɪˈriːnəm/ | "Sea of Sirens" | Terra Sirenum |
| Socratis Promontorium | /ˈsɒkrətᵻs ˌprɒmənˈtɔəriəm/ | "Cape of Socrates" | |
| Solis Fons | /ˈsoʊlᵻs ˈfɒnz/ | "Fountain of the Sun" | |
| Solis Lacus | /ˈsoʊlᵻs ˈleɪkəs/ | "Lake of the Sun" | Solis Planum |
| Syrtis Major | /ˈsɜːrrtᵻs ˈmeɪdʒər/ | a Libyan gulf, now Gulf of Sidra | Syrtis Major Planum, Syrtis Major quadrangle |
| Syrtis Minor | /ˈsɜːrrtᵻs ˈmaɪnər/ | now Gulf of Gabès in Tunisia. a.k.a. Syrtis Parva | |
T-Z
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tempe | /ˈtɛmpiː/ | Vale of Tempe, Greece | Tempe Terra |
| Tharsis | /ˈθɑːrsᵻs/ | "Tarshish" ancient source of ship-loads of silver. Possibly Tartessos or Sardinia | Tharsis Montes, Tharsis quadrangle |
| Thaumasia | /θɔːˈmeɪʒə/ | "Land of Wonders" | Thaumasia quadrangle |
| Thyle I | /ˈθaɪliː ˈpraɪmə/ | "First Thule" | |
| Thyle II | /ˈθaɪliː sᵻˈkʌndə/ | "Second Thule" | |
| Thyles Collis | /ˈθaɪliːz ˈkɒlᵻs/ | "Hill of Thule" | |
| Thyles Mons | /ˈθaɪliːz ˈmɒnz/ | "Mountain of Thule" | |
| Thymiamata | /ˌθɪmiˈæmətə/ | "Incenses" | |
| Tiphys Fretum | /ˈtaɪfᵻs ˈfriːtəm/ | ||
| Titanum Sinus | /taɪˈteɪnəm ˈsaɪnəs/ | "Bay of the Titans" | |
| Tithonius Lacus | /tᵻˈθoʊniəs ˈleɪkəs/ | ||
| Trinythios | |||
| Trivii Fons | /ˈtrɪviaɪ ˈfɒnz/ | "Fountain of the Crossroads" (east of Trivium Charontis) | |
| Trivium Charontis | /ˈtrɪviəm kəˈrɒntᵻs/ | "Crossroads of Charon" | |
| Mare Tyrrhenum | /ˈmɛəriː tᵻˈriːnəm/ | "Tyrrhenian Sea" | Mare Tyrrhenum quadrangle, Tyrrhenus Mons, Tyrrhena Terra |
| Uchronia | /jᵿˈkroʊniə/ | "Nowhen" | |
| Ulyxis Fretum | /jᵿˈlɪksᵻs ˈfriːtəm/ | "Strait of Ulysses" | |
| Utopia | /jᵿˈtoʊpiə/ | "Nowhere, Utopia" | Utopia Planitia |
| Vulcani Pelagus | /vʌlˈkeɪnaɪ ˈpɛləɡəs/ | "Sea of Vulcan" | |
| Xanthi Sinus | /ˈzænθaɪ ˈsaɪnəs/ | "Bay of Xanthus" | Xanthe Terra |
| Xisuthri Regio | /zᵻˈsuːθraɪ ˈriːdʒioʊ/ | "Region of Xisuthrus" | |
| Yaonis Regio | /ˈjeɪənᵻs ˈriːdʒioʊ/ | "Region of Emperor Yao" | |
| Zephyria | /zᵻˈfɪriə/ | "Land of the West Wind (Zephyr)" |
Interactive Mars map
See also
References
- ↑ "History of Planetary Nomenclature". planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov. International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN). Retrieved 3 Dec 2016.
- ↑ "Martian Feature Name Nomenclature". www.marsartgallery.com. Retrieved 3 Dec 2016.
- ↑ United States Geological Survey Astrogeology Program, "Mars Nomenclature: Albedo Feature", Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature.
- ↑ "Surface Features on Mars: Ground-Based Albedo and Radar Compared With Mariner 9 Topography". 79 (26). Journal of Geophysical Research. 1974: 3907–3916. Bibcode:1974JGR....79.3907F. doi:10.1029/JB079i026p03907.
Further reading
- The Origins of Martian Nomenclature, T. L. MacDonald, 1971.
- The Planet Mars: A History of Observation and Discovery, William Sheehan.
