Stokes (Martian crater)

This article is about the crater on Mars. For the lunar crater, see Stokes (lunar crater).
Stokes
PlanetMars
Coordinates55°54′N 188°48′W / 55.9°N 188.8°W / 55.9; -188.8
QuadrangleCebrenia
Diameter62.74 km (38.98 mi)
EponymSir George Stokes, 1st Baronet

Stokes is an impact crater on Mars, located on the Martian Northern plains at 55.9°N latitude and 188.8°W longitude. It measures approximately 62.74 kilometres (38.98 mi) in diameter and was named after Irish physicist George Gabriel Stokes (1819–1903). The crater's name was officially adopted by IAU's Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature in 1973.[1]

It is distinctive for its dark-toned sand dunes, which have been formed by the planet's strong winds. Research released in July 2010 showed that is one of at least nine craters in the northern lowlands that contains hydrated minerals. They are clay minerals, also called phyllosilicates.[2]

References

  1. ^ International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN). "Stokes on Mars". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. US Geological Survey. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  2. ^ "PIA13214: Hydrated Minerals Exposed at Stokes, Northern Mars". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 24 June 2010. Retrieved 2 February 2021.


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