Hero Rupes
 | |
| Feature type | Rupes |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 58°24′S 171°24′W / 58.4°S 171.4°W[1]Coordinates: 58°24′S 171°24′W / 58.4°S 171.4°W[1] |
| Eponym | Hero (sloop)[1] |
Hero Rupes is an escarpment on Mercury more than 300 kilometers long[2] located in the southern hemisphere of Mercury.[1] Discovered by the Mariner 10 spacecraft in 1974, it was formed by a thrust fault, thought to have occurred due to the shrinkage of the planet's core as it cooled over time.[3]
The scarp is named after sloop Hero, Nathaniel Palmer's ship to explore Antarctic coast, 1820–21.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Resolution Rupes". USGS. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
- ↑ "PIA02943: 300 Kilometer Long Scarp". NASA/JPL. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
- ↑ Watters, Thomas R.; Solomon, Sean C.; Robinson, Mark S.; et al. (2009). "The tectonics of Mercury: The view after MESSENGER's first flyby". Earth and Planetary Science Letters 285 (3-4): 283–296. Bibcode:2009E&PSL.285..283W. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2009.01.025.
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