Helen Planitia (Venus)
Data as of 2026-10-23
What it is
- Type
- Planitia, planitiae
- IAU definition
Low plain
- Diameter
- 4,360 km, 72 % of the radius of its body
- Centre
- 51.7° S, 263.9° east (planetocentric latitude, east longitude from 0 to 360°, the IAU convention)
- Name adopted
- 1982
- Origin of the name
Greek; "the face that launched 1000 ships."
Quoted in English, as the IAU publishes it.
In Galaxy
Opens its body in the application, the camera turned towards Helen 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.
| Mission and instrument | Products | First | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magellan · Radar System | 2,154 | February 25, 1991 | July 8, 1992 |
| ESA's Venus Express · Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer | 10,296 | May 15, 2006 | October 6, 2014 |
| MESSENGER at Venus · MERCURY ATMOSPHERIC AND SURFACE COMPOSITION SPECTROMETER | 6 | April 15, 2007 | April 15, 2007 |
| MESSENGER at Venus · Mercury Dual Imaging System - Wide Angle Camera | 12 | June 5, 2007 | June 5, 2007 |
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/2422
Type definitions: IAU Descriptor Terms, read on October 17, 2026. https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/DescriptorTerms