Glinka is a pit-floored crater on Mercury, which was discovered in 1974 by Mariner 10 spacecraft.[1] It was named by the IAU in 2008, after Russian composer Mikhail Glinka.[2]
.jpg) Photo from MESSENGER's first flyby in January 2008 with Glinka at bottom center | |
| Feature type | Impact crater |
|---|---|
| Location | Beethoven quadrangle, Mercury |
| Coordinates | 14°50′N 112°33′W / 14.83°N 112.55°W |
| Diameter | 89 km (55 mi) |
| Eponym | Mikhail Glinka |
Its floor is covered by the smooth plain material and displays a kidney-shaped collapse feature, which is also called a central pit. The size of the pit, which was first noticed in MESSENGER images obtained in January 2008, is 20 × 8.5 km.[1] It is surrounded by a bright pyroclastic deposit. Such a feature may have resulted from collapse of a magma chamber underlying the central part of the crater. The collapse feature is an analog of Earth's volcanic calderas.[1]
Glinka crater
Closeup of the central pit
