Joplin is a crater on Mercury. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2012, after the American composer Scott Joplin.[1]

Joplin
MESSENGER NAC image
PlanetMercury
Coordinates38°34′S 334°29′W / 38.56°S 334.49°W / -38.56; -334.49
QuadrangleDebussy
Diameter139 km (86 mi)
EponymScott Joplin

Joplin's peak ring is relatively small compared to the crater diameter and it is offset from the center. It is one of 110 peak ring basins on Mercury.[2]

Joplin is located about half-way between the prominent crater Debussy and the crater Lennon. It is south of the crater Travers.

Joplin crater at the terminator

References edit

  1. ^ "Joplin". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. NASA. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  2. ^ Chapman, C. R., Baker, D. M. H., Barnouin, O. S., Fassett, C. I., Marchie, S., Merline, W. J., Ostrach, L. R., Prockter, L. M., and Strom, R. G., 2018. Impact Cratering of Mercury. In Mercury: The View After MESSENGER edited by Sean C. Solomon, Larry R. Nittler, and Brian J. Anderson. Cambridge Planetary Science. Chapter 9.