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Rembrandt (crater)
Encyclopedia
Rembrandt is a large impact crater
on Mercury
. With a diameter of 715 km it is the second-largest impact basin on the planet, after Caloris, and is one of the larger craters in the Solar System. It was discovered by MESSENGER
during its second flyby of Mercury on October 6, 2008. The crater is 3.9 billion years old, and was created during the period of Late Heavy Bombardment
. The density and size distribution of impact craters along Rembrandt's rim indicate that it is one of the youngest impact basins on Mercury.
The crater is named after Dutch painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn.
spacecraft during its second flyby of Mercury on October 6, 2008.
The crater is situated in the southern hemisphere of the planet at the latitude of about −33°. It is named after a famous Dutch painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606–1669). The name Rembrandt was approved by the International Astronomical Union
on February 27, 2009.
s and massif
s. The diameter of this ring is 715 km (444.3 mi)— half the diameter of Caloris. The basin is surrounded by the blocky impact deposits made from the material excavated from the depth. The ejecta are mainly observed to the north and northeast from the basin. The interior of Rembrandt includes two terrain types: hummocky terrain and smooth plains. The former occupies a part of the basin's floor near its northern margin forming an incomplete ring about 130 km (80.8 mi) wide. The latter fill much of the interior of Rembrandt. These two plain types are separated from each other by a ring of massifs, which is about 450 km in diameter. This boundary may correspond to the outer edge of the transient cavity created by the impact, which later collapsed.
The smooth plains filling the inner part of Rembrandt are interpreted to be of the volcanic origin. They are probably similar to the Lunar maria, although they are lighter than the surrounding plains, which is the opposite of what is observed on the Moon
. The smooth plains are intersected by a system of wrinkle-ridge
s and trough
s, both having radial or concentric shapes. The concentric ridges form a nearly complete ring with the diameter of about 375 km. The radial wrinkle ridges and troughs occur mainly inside this ring. Both radial and concentric ridges have the width between 1 and 10 km (0.621372736649807 and 6.2 mi) and can be as long as 180 km (111.8 mi). The troughs are generally younger than the ridges, because they cut the latter. The width of the troughs varies from 1 and 3 km (0.621372736649807 and 1.9 mi). Some radial troughs closely follow wrinkle ridges forming a unique wheel spoke
pattern. Troughs are interpreted to be extensional features—graben
s, while wrinkle ridges are contractional.
Rembrandt basin is cross-cut by a large lobate scarp
running from the southwest to the north. It is about 600 km (372.8 mi) long and belongs to the global system of scarps, which covers the entire surface of Mercury. These features are thought to have resulted from the global contraction of the planet as its interior cooled. The scarp is the youngest tectonic feature observed in this region, because it cuts all other units including smooth plains.
Both the rim and interior of Rembrandt are covered by numerous impact crater
s. The central smooth plains embay and partially flood many of these craters suggesting that the plains resulted from the prolonged effusive
volcanic activity. Those impact craters, which formed after the end of volcanism, indicate that in the center of Rembrandt lava
, layers can be as thick as 2 km (1.2 mi).
of the inner Solar System
about 3.9 billion year ago. The impact had excavated material from the lower part of the crust
leading to the formation of the dark and relatively blue impact ejecta, which surrounds Rembrandt. The thinning of the crust, which resulted from the impact, stimulated effusive volcanic activity. Light-colored lavas filled the inner part of Rembrandt causing it to subside, which led to the contraction of the basin's floor and formation of wrinkle ridges. The later floor uplift, which causes are not known, led to the extension and formation of troughs.
The latest episode of tectonic activity led to the formation of the lobate scarp, which actually runs tangentially to the ring of wrinkle ridges. This indicates that the ring, which may correspond to a buried interior basin ring
, influenced the scarp formation. After that, the internal activity probably ended, and the surface was shaped only by relatively infrequent impacts.
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
on 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...
. With a diameter of 715 km it is the second-largest impact basin on the planet, after Caloris, and is one of the larger craters in the Solar System. It was discovered by MESSENGER
MESSENGER
The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging space probe is a robotic NASA spacecraft in orbit around the planet Mercury. The spacecraft was launched aboard a Delta II rocket in August 2004 to study the chemical composition, geology, and magnetic field of Mercury...
during its second flyby of Mercury on October 6, 2008. The crater is 3.9 billion years old, and was created during the period of Late Heavy Bombardment
Late Heavy Bombardment
The Late Heavy Bombardment is a period of time approximately 4.1 to 3.8 billion years ago during which a large number of impact craters are believed to have formed on the Moon, and by inference on Earth, Mercury, Venus, and Mars as well...
. The density and size distribution of impact craters along Rembrandt's rim indicate that it is one of the youngest impact basins on Mercury.
The crater is named after Dutch painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn.
Background
Rembrandt was discovered in the images taken by the MESSENGERMESSENGER
The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging space probe is a robotic NASA spacecraft in orbit around the planet Mercury. The spacecraft was launched aboard a Delta II rocket in August 2004 to study the chemical composition, geology, and magnetic field of Mercury...
spacecraft during its second flyby of Mercury on October 6, 2008.
The crater is situated in the southern hemisphere of the planet at the latitude of about −33°. It is named after a famous Dutch painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606–1669). The name Rembrandt was approved by the International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
on February 27, 2009.
Geology
Rembrandt is the second largest impact basin (crater) on Mercury after Caloris. Its outer boundary, which is called crater rim, is defined by a ring of inward facing scarpEscarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
s and massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
s. The diameter of this ring is 715 km (444.3 mi)— half the diameter of Caloris. The basin is surrounded by the blocky impact deposits made from the material excavated from the depth. The ejecta are mainly observed to the north and northeast from the basin. The interior of Rembrandt includes two terrain types: hummocky terrain and smooth plains. The former occupies a part of the basin's floor near its northern margin forming an incomplete ring about 130 km (80.8 mi) wide. The latter fill much of the interior of Rembrandt. These two plain types are separated from each other by a ring of massifs, which is about 450 km in diameter. This boundary may correspond to the outer edge of the transient cavity created by the impact, which later collapsed.
The smooth plains filling the inner part of Rembrandt are interpreted to be of the volcanic origin. They are probably similar to the Lunar maria, although they are lighter than the surrounding plains, which is the opposite of what is observed on the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
. The smooth plains are intersected by a system of wrinkle-ridge
Wrinkle-ridge
A wrinkle ridge is a type of feature commonly found on lunar maria. These features are low, sinuous ridges formed on the mare surface that can extend for up to several hundred kilometers. Wrinkle ridges are tectonic features created when the basaltic lava first cooled and contracted...
s and trough
Trough (geology)
In geology, a trough generally refers to a linear structural depression that extends laterally over a distance, while being less steep than a trench.A trough can be a narrow basin or a geologic rift....
s, both having radial or concentric shapes. The concentric ridges form a nearly complete ring with the diameter of about 375 km. The radial wrinkle ridges and troughs occur mainly inside this ring. Both radial and concentric ridges have the width between 1 and 10 km (0.621372736649807 and 6.2 mi) and can be as long as 180 km (111.8 mi). The troughs are generally younger than the ridges, because they cut the latter. The width of the troughs varies from 1 and 3 km (0.621372736649807 and 1.9 mi). Some radial troughs closely follow wrinkle ridges forming a unique wheel spoke
Wheel and spoke model
The Wheel And Spoke Model is a sequentially parallel software development model. It is essentially a modification of the spiral model that is designed to work with smaller initial teams, which then scale upwards and build value faster. It is best used during the design and prototyping stages of...
pattern. Troughs are interpreted to be extensional features—graben
Graben
In geology, a graben is a depressed block of land bordered by parallel faults. Graben is German for ditch. Graben is used for both the singular and plural....
s, while wrinkle ridges are contractional.
Rembrandt basin is cross-cut by a large lobate scarp
Fault scarp
A fault scarp is the topographic expression of faulting attributed to the displacement of the land surface by movement along faults. They are exhibited either by differential movement and subsequent erosion along an old inactive geologic fault , or by a movement on a recent active fault...
running from the southwest to the north. It is about 600 km (372.8 mi) long and belongs to the global system of scarps, which covers the entire surface of Mercury. These features are thought to have resulted from the global contraction of the planet as its interior cooled. The scarp is the youngest tectonic feature observed in this region, because it cuts all other units including smooth plains.
Both the rim and interior of Rembrandt are covered by numerous impact crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
s. The central smooth plains embay and partially flood many of these craters suggesting that the plains resulted from the prolonged effusive
Effusive eruption
An effusive eruption is a volcanic eruption characterized by the outpouring of lava onto the ground...
volcanic activity. Those impact craters, which formed after the end of volcanism, indicate that in the center of Rembrandt lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
, layers can be as thick as 2 km (1.2 mi).
Age and formation
The data available on the crater indicate that Rembrandt is one of the youngest impact features on Mercury. Its age is roughly the same as that of Caloris. The basin probably formed near the end of the Late Heavy BombardmentLate Heavy Bombardment
The Late Heavy Bombardment is a period of time approximately 4.1 to 3.8 billion years ago during which a large number of impact craters are believed to have formed on the Moon, and by inference on Earth, Mercury, Venus, and Mars as well...
of the inner Solar System
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
about 3.9 billion year ago. The impact had excavated material from the lower part of the crust
Crust (geology)
In geology, the crust is the outermost solid shell of a rocky planet or natural satellite, which is chemically distinct from the underlying mantle...
leading to the formation of the dark and relatively blue impact ejecta, which surrounds Rembrandt. The thinning of the crust, which resulted from the impact, stimulated effusive volcanic activity. Light-colored lavas filled the inner part of Rembrandt causing it to subside, which led to the contraction of the basin's floor and formation of wrinkle ridges. The later floor uplift, which causes are not known, led to the extension and formation of troughs.
The latest episode of tectonic activity led to the formation of the lobate scarp, which actually runs tangentially to the ring of wrinkle ridges. This indicates that the ring, which may correspond to a buried interior basin ring
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
, influenced the scarp formation. After that, the internal activity probably ended, and the surface was shaped only by relatively infrequent impacts.