How many fossae are there on Mercury?

2 features on Mercury carry the IAU descriptor Fossa, out of 606 named places on the world.

What does Fossa mean in planetary nomenclature?

Fossa is the IAU descriptor term for a long, narrow depression. It is used on 9 of the mapped worlds, for 117 named features in total.

What is the largest fossa on Mercury?

Borobudur Fossae, 395 km across — 8.1% of Mercury's own diameter. A 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Magelang Regency, in Central Java, Indonesia, consisting of nine stacked platforms and topped by a central dome.

How are fossae on Mercury named?

The IAU draws these names from 2 categories: Indonesia (1), Roman (1).

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Fossae on Mercury

2 named features carry the IAU descriptor Fossa — a long, narrow depression on Mercury, out of 117 in the mapped Solar System.

Named

of 606 named places on Mercury — 0.3%

Largest

395 km

Borobudur Fossae

Median size

353 km

Across the 2 with a measured diameter

Named between

2008–2019

IAU approval dates

How fossae on Mercury get their names

The IAU assigns each feature class on each world a naming theme. Across the 2 fossae with a recorded origin, 2 categories appear, led by Indonesia.

Indonesia1Roman1

All 2 fossae on Mercury

Every one has its own page, on the surface it sits on.

Borobudur Fossae395 km Pantheon Fossae311 km

Fossae elsewhere in the Solar System

The same descriptor is used on 8 other worlds, for 115 more features.

Mars61 Venus32 Enceladus7 Europa6 Vesta3 Ganymede3 Ryugu2 Ceres1

All 117 fossae in the Solar System →

Mercury in 3D Every named place on Mercury All 53 feature classes