 MESSENGER image | |
| Feature type | Impact crater |
|---|---|
| Location | Raditladi quadrangle, Mercury |
| Coordinates | 45°30′N 182°06′W / 45.5°N 182.1°W / 45.5; -182.1 |
| Diameter | 21 km (13 mi) |
| Eponym | Alvin Ailey |
Ailey is a crater on Mercury. It has a diameter of 21 kilometers. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in on April 24, 2012. Ailey is named for the American dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey, who lived from 1931 to 1989.
Ailey is a fresh crater with a ray system that displays both low-reflectance material (LRM) and high-reflectance red material.
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Mariner 10 image. Ailey is a small crater left of center, mostly in shadow
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Exaggerated color image
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Oblique MESSENGER image showing Ailey's unusual rays that suggest an oblique impact
References
- "Ailey". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. NASA. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
- Denevi, B. W., Ernst, C. M., Prockter, L. M., and Robinson, M. S., 2018. The Geologic History of Mercury. In Mercury: The View After MESSENGER edited by Sean C. Solomon, Larry R. Nittler, and Brian J. Anderson. Cambridge Planetary Science. Chapter 6.4.4.
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