Punga Mare
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Punga Mare from a false-color mosaic of synthetic aperture radar images of Titan's north polar region. A northern extension of Kraken Mare enters the view at lower right. | |
| Feature type | Mare |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 85°N 340°W / 85°N 340°WCoordinates: 85°N 340°W / 85°N 340°W |
| Diameter | 380 km[note 1] |
| Eponym | Punga |
Punga Mare /ˈpʌŋə/ is a lake in the north polar region of Titan, the planet Saturn's largest moon. After Kraken Mare and Ligeia Mare, it is the third largest known body of liquid on Titan.[1] It is composed of liquid hydrocarbons (mainly methane and ethane). Located almost adjacent to the north pole at 85.1° N, 339.7° W, it measures roughly 380 km (236 mi) across,[1][note 1] greater than the length of Lake Victoria on Earth. Its namesake is Punga, in Māori mythology ancestor of sharks, rays and lizards and a son of Tangaroa, the god of the sea.[1]
Notes
- 1 2 The USGS web site gives the size as a "diameter", but it is actually the length in the longest dimension.
References
- 1 2 3 "Titan maria". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Science Center. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
External links
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