📷 Image Credits: ThePrint
Indian scientists from Ahmedabad’s Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) have discovered three new craters on Mars, which have been named to honor the institute and two towns in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The craters have been named Lal Crater, Mursan, and Hilsa, after Indian geophysicist and former PRL director Devendra Lal, and towns in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, respectively. These names were approved by the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN) on June 5. The Lal Crater, located in the Tharsis volcanic region of Mars, is the largest of the three craters with a width spanning 65 kilometers. The other two craters, Mursan and Hilsa, are around 10 kilometers wide and are located on the eastern and western sides of the Lal Crater’s rim. The Lal Crater is covered with lava, but there is evidence of material other than lava in the crater, including a 45-meter thick sedimentary deposit. This discovery provides evidence that water moved sediment into the crater, confirming that Mars once had water flowing on its surface. The smaller superimposed craters, Mursan and Hilsa, provide insight into the infilling process of the Lal Crater and suggest episodic infilling. Indian scientists have a history of discovering and naming craters on Mars, with some named after Indian cities and towns. The Poona, Lonar, and Kakori craters are examples of such names. Craters less than 60 kilometers in diameter are named after towns with populations under 100,000 and once approved by the WGPSN, the names are official. The surface of Mars is abundant with craters of various sizes, with over 43,000 impact craters on the planet’s surface. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists estimate that most craters on Mars were formed by meteorite impacts early in its history, with the largest crater being the Hellas Planitia. Other large Martian craters include Argyre, Isidis, Schiaparelli, and Lyot. Indian scientists continue to make significant contributions to planetary exploration and discovery, marking their presence on the Red Planet with the identification and naming of Martian craters.
