 MESSENGER image of Despréz | |
| Feature type | Central-peak impact crater |
|---|---|
| Location | Borealis quadrangle, Mercury |
| Coordinates | 81°06′N 101°12′W / 81.1°N 101.2°W / 81.1; -101.2 |
| Diameter | 47.05 km (29.24 mi) |
| Eponym | Josquin des Prez |
Despréz is a crater on Mercury with a diameter of 47.05 kilometers. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1979. Despréz is named for the French composer Josquin des Prez, who lived from 1440 to 1521.
Despréz has a region of permanent shadow along its southern rim, which has a bright radar signature. This is interpreted to represent a deposit of water ice.
References
- Moore, Patrick (2000). The Data Book of Astronomy. Institute of Physics Publishing. ISBN 0-7503-0620-3.
- "Desprez". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. NASA. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
- PIA19411: Water Ice on Mercury, NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
- John K. Harmon, Martin A. Slade, Melissa S. Rice, 2011. Radar imagery of Mercury’s putative polar ice: 1999–2005 Arecibo results. Icarus, 211, p37-50. doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2010.08.007
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