Alencar is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 120 kilometers.[1] Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1979. Alencar is named for the Brazilian novel writer José de Alencar, who lived from 1829 to 1877.[2]

Alencar
MESSENGER NAC image
PlanetMercury
Coordinates63°30′S 103°30′W / 63.5°S 103.5°W / -63.5; -103.5
QuadrangleMichelangelo
Diameter120 km
EponymJosé de Alencar
Oblique view of Alencar crater

Alencar has a complex central peak. On the west side of the central peak complex is a dark spot of low reflectance material (LRM), closely associated with hollows.[3]

Alencar is located to the north of the larger crater Bach.

References edit

  1. ^ Moore, Patrick (2000). The Data Book of Astronomy. Institute of Physics Publishing. ISBN 0-7503-0620-3.
  2. ^ "Alencar". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. NASA. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  3. ^ Zhiyong Xiao, Robert G. Strom, David T. Blewett, Paul K. Byrne, Sean C. Solomon, Scott L. Murchie, Ann L. Sprague, Deborah L. Domingue, Jörn Helbert, 2013. Dark spots on Mercury: A distinctive low-reflectance material and its relation to hollows. Journal of Geophysical Research Planets. doi.org/10.1002/jgre.20115