Venus - Impact Crater in Guinevere Planitia

This is a Magellan image mosaic of an impact crater located in Guinevere Planitia on Venus with a rim diameter of 12.5 kilometers (7.8 miles). The area mosaiced is located at 6 degrees north latitude, 335 degrees east longitude and is from orbits 376 and 377 obtained on Sept. 15, 1990. The image is of an area about 37 km (23 miles) wide and 80 km (48 miles) long. Material thrown out from the impact forms a bright ejecta blanket surrounding most of the crater. The object that formed this crater was probably moving toward the north (top of the picture) at a shallow angle to the surface when it hit. The two lines of evidence that support this view are the "missing ejecta" on the south and the small secondary craters seen to the north. The secondary craters are formed by large blocks thrown out of the primary crater. Most of the larger blocks landed close to the crater rim, while finer material traveled farther, creating a radial pattern. The inside of the crater shows terracing caused by slumping of the inner wall. A complex central peak is also seen; it was formed by uplift of the ground when it rebounded following impact. Resolution of the Magellan data is about 120 meters (400 feet).