Papsukkal Planitia (Mercury)

Data as of 2026-10-23

What it is

Type
Planitia, planitiae
IAU definition

Low plain

Diameter
810 km, 33 % of the radius of its body
Centre
16.25° S, 88.37° east (planetocentric latitude, east longitude from 0 to 360°, the IAU convention)
Name adopted
March 14, 2017
Origin of the name

Akkadian messenger god.

Quoted in English, as the IAU publishes it.

In Galaxy

See it in Galaxy

Opens its body in the application, the camera turned towards Papsukkal Planitia.

Observed by

Instruments whose footprint touches this formation, counted by the PDS Orbital Data Explorer (data frozen on September 29, 2026). A footprint that touches it is not a study of it.

Observed by
Mission and instrumentProductsFirstLast
MESSENGER · Mercury Dual Imaging System - Wide Angle Camera12,816January 1, 2000November 27, 2014
MESSENGER · Mercury Dual Imaging System12January 1, 2000November 1, 2014
MESSENGER · Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer4,947August 13, 2004April 30, 2015
MESSENGER · Mercury Dual Imaging System - Narrow Angle Camera5,498January 14, 2008December 30, 2014
MESSENGER · Mercury Laser Altimeter13June 14, 2011January 21, 2015

Sources

International Astronomical Union Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, read on October 23, 2026. Feature page: https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/15558

Type definitions: IAU Descriptor Terms, read on October 17, 2026. https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/DescriptorTerms

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