This is a list of the albedo feature

Albedo feature

An albedo feature is a large area on the surface of a planet which shows a contrast in brightness or darkness with adjacent areas....

s of the planet Mercury

Mercury (planet)

Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System, orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits...

 as seen by early telescopic observation.

Early telescopic observations of Mercury were based on the assumption that Mercury keeps one of its faces permanently turned toward the Sun

Sun

The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...

, through the mechanism of tidal locking

Tidal locking

Tidal locking occurs when the gravitational gradient makes one side of an astronomical body always face another; for example, the same side of the Earth's Moon always faces the Earth. A tidally locked body takes just as long to rotate around its own axis as it does to revolve around its partner...

. Although this is not true (Mercury rotates three times on its axis for every two revolutions around the Sun), when it is positioned for best viewing from Earth, the amount by which its visible face has rotated from its previous best viewing position is fairly small.

A map of Mercury made in the 1910s by astronomer Eugène Michel Antoniadi

Eugène Michel Antoniadi

Eugène Michel Antoniadi was a Greek astronomer, born in Asia Minor, who spent most of his life in France. He was also known as Eugenios Antoniadis...

 shows the following albedo features, localized by a grid in which 0° longitude is the (assumed) subsolar meridian. No certain connection has been made between these features and the topographic features viewed on Mercury by the Mariner 10

Mariner 10

Mariner 10 was an American robotic space probe launched by NASA on November 3, 1973, to fly by the planets Mercury and Venus. It was launched approximately two years after Mariner 9 and was the last spacecraft in the Mariner program...

 spacecraft. Mariner 10, however, imaged less than half of Mercury's surface.

The names are drawn from Greek mythology

Greek mythology

Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...

, and often allude to myths about Hermes

Hermes

Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...

, the Greek equivalent of the Roman god Mercury

Mercury (mythology)

Mercury was a messenger who wore winged sandals, and a god of trade, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is related to the Latin word merx , mercari , and merces...

.

Name	Pronunciation	Location	Meaning of name
Admeti Vallis	/ædˈmiːtaɪ ˈvælɨs/	Dark area in the NE quadrant, between Aurora and Pleias	"valley of Admetus Admetus In Greek mythology, Admetus was a king of Pherae in Thessaly, succeeding his father Pheres after whom the city was named. Admetus was one of the Argonauts and took part in the Calydonian Boar hunt. His wife Alcestis offered to substitute her own death for his.-Mythology:Admetus was famed for his... "
Apollonia	/ˌæpəˈloʊniə/	Light area near the north pole	"land of Apollo Apollo Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology... "
Argyritis	/ˌɑrdʒɨˈraɪtɨs/	Light area in the NE quadrant, about 30° N	"silver-bearing land"
Aurora	/ɒˈrɔərə/	Light area, 20-30° N, near the eastern terminator	Aurora Aurora (mythology) Aurora is the Latin word for dawn, the goddess of dawn in Roman mythology and Latin poetry.Like Greek Eos and Rigvedic Ushas , Aurora continues the name of an earlier Indo-European dawn goddess, *Hausos.... , the Roman goddess of dawn
Caduceata	/kəˌdjuːʃiːˈeɪtə/	Light area in the NE quadrant, north of 50° N	"possessing the caduceus Caduceus The caduceus is the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology. The same staff was also borne by heralds in general, for example by Iris, the messenger of Hera. It is a short staff entwined by two serpents, sometimes surmounted by wings... "
Cyllene	/sɨˈliːni/	Light area in the SW quadrant, extending from about 20° to 50° S	Cyllene Mount Kyllini Mount Kyllini or Mount Cyllene , is a mountain on the Peloponnesus peninsula in Greece, famous for its association with the god Hermes. It rises to above sea level, making it the second highest point on the peninsula. It is located near the border between the historic regions of Arcadia and... , birthplace of Hermes
Helii Promontorium	/ˈhiːliaɪ ˌprɒmənˈtɔəriəm/	A feature close to the zero meridian, about 20° S	Means "cape of Helios Helios Helios was the personification of the Sun in Greek mythology. Homer often calls him simply Titan or Hyperion, while Hesiod and the Homeric Hymn separate him as a son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia or Euryphaessa and brother of the goddesses Selene, the moon, and Eos, the dawn... "
Heliocaminus	/ˌhiːliəkəˈmaɪnəs/	Light region in the northern hemisphere, between Phaëthontias and Liguria	"chamber exposed to the sun"; the region is close to the (assumed) sub-solar point
Hesperis	/ˈhɛspərɨs/	Light region in the SW quadrant, between 10° and 40° S, near the western terminator	"one of the Hesperides Hesperides In Greek mythology, the Hesperides are nymphs who tend a blissful garden in a far western corner of the world, located near the Atlas mountains in North Africa at the edge of the encircling Oceanus, the world-ocean.... "
Horarum Vallis	/hɒˈrɛərəm ˈvælɨs/	Dark narrow area in the eastern hemisphere, crossing the Equator SE of Pleias	"valley of the Hours Horae In Greek mythology the Horae or Hours were the goddesses of the seasons and the natural portions of time. They were originally the personifications of nature in its different seasonal aspects, but in later times they were regarded as goddessess of order in general and natural justice... "
Ixionis Vallis	/ɪkˈsaɪənɨs ˈvælɨs/	Band connecting Solitudo Atlantis and Solitudo Criophori, in SW quadrant between the Equator and 30° S	"valley of Ixion Ixion In Greek mythology, Ixion was king of the Lapiths, the most ancient tribe of Thessaly, and a son of Ares, or Leonteus, or Antion and Perimele, or the notorious evildoer Phlegyas, whose name connotes "fiery". Peirithoös was his son... "
Liguria	/lɨˈɡjʊəriə/	Light area in the southern hemisphere, centered slightly west of the zero meridian, at about 40° N	Liguria Liguria Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:... , a region of Italy
Neptuni Vallis	/nɛpˈtjuːnaɪ ˈvælɨs/	Dark narrow area in the NE quadrant, NW of Pleias	"valley of Neptune Poseidon Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon... "
Pentas	/ˈpɛntəs/	Light region in the NW quadrant, between the solitudines of Criophori and Aphrodites, extending between about 10° and 40° N
Phaëthontias	/ˌfeɪəˈθɒnʃəs/	Light region in the southern hemisphere, between Pleias and Pieria	"land of Phaëthon Phaëton In Greek mythology, Phaëton or Phaethon was the son of Helios and the Oceanid Clymene. Alternate, less common genealogies make him a son of Clymenus by Merope, of Helios and Rhode or of Helios and Prote.... "
Pieria	/paɪˈɪəriə/	Light region in the SW quadrant, bordering on Hesperis, between the solitudines of Atlantis and Criophori	Pieria, a region of Greece
Pleias	/ˈpliːəs/ or /ˈplaɪəs/	Light region in the eastern hemisphere, running across the Equator from SW to NE	"one of the Pleiades Pleiades (mythology) The Pleiades , companions of Artemis, were the seven daughters of the titan Atlas and the sea-nymph Pleione born on Mount Cyllene. They are the sisters of Calypso, Hyas, the Hyades, and the Hesperides... "
Solitudo Alarum	/ˌsɒlɨˈtjuːdoʊ əˈlɛərəm/	Small dark region in the NW quadrant, E of Pentas	"desert of wings", associated with Mercury in his role as swift messenger
Solitudo Aphrodites	/ˌsɒlɨˈtjuːdoʊ ˌæfrəˈdaɪtiːz/	Dark region in the NW quadrant, between 30° and 60° N	"desert of Aphrodite Aphrodite Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia.... "
Solitudo Argiphontae	/ˌsɒlɨˈtjuːdoʊ ˌɑrdʒɨˈfɒntiː/	Dark region in the NW quadrant, extending along the terminator from the Equator to about 60° N	"desert of Argiphontes"; Argiphontes means "slayer of Argus Panoptes Argus Panoptes In Greek mythology, Argus Panoptes or Argos, guardian of the heifer-nymph Io and son of Arestor, was a primordial giant whose epithet "Panoptes", "all-seeing", led to his being described with multiple, often one hundred, eyes. The epithet Panoptes was applied to the Titan of the Sun, Helios, and... " and is an epithet for Hermes
Solitudo Atlantis	/ˌsɒlɨˈtjuːdoʊ ætˈlæntɨs/	Dark region in the SW quadrant, between 20° and 50° S	"desert of Atlas Atlas (mythology) In Greek mythology, Atlas was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens. Although associated with various places, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in north-west Africa... "
Solitudo Criophori	/ˌsɒlɨˈtjuːdoʊ kraɪˈɒfəraɪ/	Dark region mostly in the NW quadrant, near the Equator, extending from about 20° N to the western terminator near the Equator	"desert of Criophorus"; Criophorus means "bearer of the ram" and is an epithet for Hermes
Solitudo Dionysi	/ˌsɒlɨˈtjuːdoʊ ˌdaɪəˈnaɪsaɪ/	Dark region in the NE quadrant, between Caduceata and Liguria, about 40° S	"desert of Dionysus Dionysus Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete... "
Solitudo Hermae Trismegisti	/ˌsɒlɨˈtjuːdoʊ ˈhɝmiː ˌtrɪzmɨˈdʒɪstaɪ/	Large medium-albedo region in the SE quadrant, between 30° and 60° S	"desert of Thrice-greatest Hermes Hermes Trismegistus Hermes Trismegistus is the eponymous author of the Hermetic Corpus, a sacred text belonging to the genre of divine revelation.-Origin and identity:... "
Solitudo Iovis	/ˌsɒlɨˈtjuːdoʊ ˈdʒoʊvɨs/	Dark region in the SE quadrant, centered about 25° S, 20° E	"desert of Jupiter Jupiter (mythology) In ancient Roman religion and myth, Jupiter or Jove is the king of the gods, and the god of the sky and thunder. He is the equivalent of Zeus in the Greek pantheon.... "
Solitudo Ius	/ˌsɒlɨˈtjuːdoʊ ˈaɪəs/	Dark patch SE of Solitudo Atlantis, in SW quadrant about 50° S	"desert of Io Io (mythology) Io was, in Greek mythology, a priestess of Hera in Argos, a nymph who was seduced by Zeus, who changed her into a heifer to escape detection. His wife Hera set ever-watchful Argus Panoptes to guard her, but Hermes was sent to distract the guardian and slay him... "
Solitudo Lycaonis	/ˌsɒlɨˈtjuːdoʊ lɪˈkeɪənɨs/	Dark patch near the eastern terminator, centered slightly north of the Equator	"desert of Lycaon"
Solitudo Lyrae	/ˌsɒlɨˈtjuːdoʊ ˈlaɪriː/	Small dark patch in the SE quadrant, just south of the Equator, adjoining Neptuni Vallis	"desert of the lyre Lyre The lyre is a stringed musical instrument known for its use in Greek classical antiquity and later. The word comes from the Greek "λύρα" and the earliest reference to the word is the Mycenaean Greek ru-ra-ta-e, meaning "lyrists", written in Linear B syllabic script... ", an instrument associated with Hermes
Solitudo Maiae	/ˌsɒlɨˈtjuːdoʊ ˈmeɪiː/	Dark region in the SW quadrant, NE of Cyllene	"desert of Maia Maia (mythology) In Greek mythology, Maia is one of the Pleiades and the mother of Hermes. The goddess known as Maia among the Romans may have originated independently, but attracted the myths of Greek Maia because the two figures shared the same name.-Birth:... " (the mother of Hermes)
Solitudo Martis	/ˌsɒlɨˈtjuːdoʊ ˈmɑrtɨs/	Dark region in the SE quadrant, about 30°S, 60° E	"desert of Mars Mars (mythology) Mars was the Roman god of war and also an agricultural guardian, a combination characteristic of early Rome. He was second in importance only to Jupiter, and he was the most prominent of the military gods worshipped by the Roman legions... "
Solitudo Panos	/ˌsɒlɨˈtjuːdoʊ ˈpeɪnɒs/	Dark region in the southern hemisphere, along the zero meridian between 30° and 50° S	"desert of Pan Pan (mythology) Pan , in Greek religion and mythology, is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music, as well as the companion of the nymphs. His name originates within the Greek language, from the word paein , meaning "to pasture." He has the hindquarters, legs,... "
Solitudo Persephones	/ˌsɒlɨˈtjuːdoʊ pɚˈsɛfəniːz/	Dark region in the SW quadrant, above 60° S, near the terminator	"desert of Persephone Persephone In Greek mythology, Persephone , also called Kore , is the daughter of Zeus and the harvest-goddess Demeter, and queen of the underworld; she was abducted by Hades, the god-king of the underworld.... "
Solitudo Phoenicis	/ˌsɒlɨˈtjuːdoʊ fɨˈnaɪsɨs/	Small dark region on the Equator, between 10° and 30° W	"desert of the phoenix Phoenix (mythology) The phoenix or phenix is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indian and Phoenicians.... "
Solitudo Promethei	/ˌsɒlɨˈtjuːdoʊ proʊˈmiːθiːaɪ/	Dark region in the SE quadrant, about 70° S, near the eastern terminator	"desert of Prometheus Prometheus In Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Titan, the son of Iapetus and Themis, and brother to Atlas, Epimetheus and Menoetius. He was a champion of mankind, known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals... "

The names of albedo features currently used by the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature are largely based upon Antoniadi's names, but include several alterations; they also necessarily use a different coordinate grid.

The newer regional names are: Borea (/ˈbɔəriə/) "Northern region"; Australia (/ɔːˈstreɪliə/) "Southern region"; and Tricrena (/trɨˈkriːnə/), the name of a mountain near Pheneus in Arcadia

Arcadia

Arcadia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan...

.

Other changes are: all features named Vallis and Promontorium have been renamed Solitudo; Solitudo Argiphontae has been renamed Sinus Argiphontae ("bay of Argiphontes"); Admeti has been changed to Admetei (in error; there is no mythological figure Admeteus); Pleias has become Pleias Gallia.