Lupercalia Fossa (Vesta)
Data as of 2026-10-23
What it is
- Type
- Fossa, fossae
- IAU definition
Long, narrow depression
- Diameter
- 82.3 km, 31 % of the radius of its body
- Centre
- 10.33° N, 242.61° east (planetocentric latitude, east longitude from 0 to 360°, the IAU convention)
- Name adopted
- February 5, 2014
- Origin of the name
Roman festival reflecting the needs of a small pastoral community, involving the sacrifice of goats and youths striking those whom they met with strips of goat skins, held February 15.
Quoted in English, as the IAU publishes it.
In Galaxy
Opens its body in the application, the camera turned towards Lupercalia Fossa.
Missions to its body
No observation record of this formation is crossed here. These are the missions the Planetary Data System declares for its body; none is claimed to have observed Lupercalia Fossa.
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/15232
Type definitions: IAU Descriptor Terms, read on October 17, 2026. https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/DescriptorTerms