IAU descriptor term
Faculae in the Solar System
Facula is the term planetary geologists use for a bright spot. 61 named features carry it, across 5 of the 14 mapped worlds, the largest being Crete Facula on Titan at 680 km.
Where they are
The largest faculae anywhere
Ranked across every mapped world, by catalogued diameter.
1Crete FaculaTitan680 km2Nicobar FaculaeTitan575 km3Oahu FaculaTitan465 km4Kol FaculaCallisto390 km5Busiris FaculaGanymede369 km6Memphis FaculaGanymede361 km7Thebes FaculaGanymede360 km8Coptos FaculaGanymede329 km9Shikoku FaculaTitan285 km10Nathair FaculaMercury270 km11Hermopolis FaculaGanymede260 km12Antilia FaculaeTitan260 km13Elba FaculaTitan250 km14Buto FaculaGanymede245 km15Akhmin FaculaGanymede245 km16Bigeh FaculaGanymede224 km17Siwah FaculaGanymede220 km18Vis FaculaTitan215 km19Bazaruto FaculaTitan215 km20Mindanao FaculaTitan210 km21Slang FaculaeMercury204 km22Texel FaculaTitan190 km23Tettu FaculaGanymede189 km24Edfu FaculaGanymede184 km25Abydos FaculaGanymede180 km26Santorini FaculaTitan140 km27Kerguelen FaculaTitan135 km28Inyoka FaculaeMercury130 km29Orm FaculaeMercury125 km30Pampu FaculaMercury120 km
What they are named after
Naming themes are set per world, so one descriptor can draw on very different sources depending on where it sits. Across all 61 faculae, 42 categories appear.
Egypt13India3Philippines3Nigeria2Roman2Greek2Ireland1Afrikaans1