Cruls is an
impact crater
An impact crater is a depression (geology), depression in the surface of a solid astronomical body formed by the hypervelocity impact event, impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal c ...
in the
Eridania quadrangle on
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...
at 42.91° S and 163.03° E. and is 87.89 km in diameter. Its name was assigned in 1973 by the
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union (IAU; , UAI) is an international non-governmental organization (INGO) with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach, education, and developmen ...
, in honor of Brazilian astronomer
Luís Cruls
Luíz Cruls or Luís Cruls or Louis Ferdinand Cruls (21 January 1848 – 21 June 1908) was a Belgian- Brazilian astronomer and geodesist. He was Director of the Brazilian National Observatory from 1881 to 1908, led the commission charged with ...
.
[ Evidence of previous glacial activity is evident in images.]
Glacial Features
Glaciers, loosely defined as patches of currently or recently flowing ice, are thought to be present across large but restricted areas of the modern Martian surface, and are inferred to have been more widely distributed at times in the past.["The Surface of Mars" Series: Cambridge Planetary Science (No. 6) Michael H. Carr, United States Geological Survey, Menlo Park]Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
The ''Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' (''MRO'') is a spacecraft designed to search for the existence of water on Mars and provide support for missions to Mars, as part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program. It was launched from Cape Canaveral on Au ...
File:Wikicruls.jpg, Cruls Crater, as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Arrows indicate old glaciers.
File:WikicrulsESP 034057 1375flows.jpg, Old glaciers in Cruls Crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
HiWish is a program created by NASA so that anyone can suggest a place for the HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to photograph. It was started in January 2010. In the first few months of the program 3000 people signed up to use HiR ...
.
File:Cruls crater north rim.jpg, This topographic map was created using Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) technology on the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. This image is a screenshot of RedMapper's website and shows the north rim of Cruls crater.
File:Curls crater south rim.jpg, This topographic map was created using Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) technology on the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. This image is a screenshot of RedMapper's website and shows the south rim of Cruls crater.
See also
* List of craters on Mars
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This is a list of craters on Mars. Impact craters on Mars larger than exist by the hundreds of thousands, but only about one thousand of them have names. Names are assigned by the International Astronomical Union after petitioning ...
References
Impact craters on Mars
Eridania quadrangle
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