IAU descriptor term
Fossae in the Solar System
Fossa is the term planetary geologists use for a long, narrow depression. 117 named features carry it, across 9 of the 14 mapped worlds, the largest being Lakhmu Fossae on Ganymede at 3,700 km.
Where they are
Marslargest: Sirenum Fossae, 2,731 km61Venuslargest: Brynhild Fossae, 1,800 km32Enceladuslargest: Khorasan Fossa, 290 km7Europalargest: Maughanasilly Fossa, 920 km6Vestalargest: Divalia Fossae, 549 km3Ganymedelargest: Lakhmu Fossae, 3,700 km3Mercurylargest: Borobudur Fossae, 395 km2Ryugulargest: Tokoyo Fossa, 0.6 km2Cereslargest: Nabanna Fossa, 168 km1
The largest fossae anywhere
Ranked across every mapped world, by catalogued diameter.
1Lakhmu FossaeGanymede3,700 km2Zu FossaeGanymede2,900 km3Sirenum FossaeMars2,731 km4Tantalus FossaeMars2,362 km5Tempe FossaeMars2,116 km6Icaria FossaeMars2,115 km7Alba FossaeMars2,072 km8Claritas FossaeMars2,031 km9Mareotis FossaeMars1,908 km10Brynhild FossaeVenus1,800 km11Khosedem FossaeVenus1,800 km12Karra mahte FossaeVenus1,800 km13Penthesilea FossaVenus1,700 km14Memnonia FossaeMars1,585 km15Labeatis FossaeMars1,496 km16Perunitsa FossaeVenus1,300 km17Cerberus FossaeMars1,235 km18Ceraunius FossaeMars1,167 km19Elysium FossaeMars1,044 km20Thaumasia FossaeMars996 km21Sigrun FossaeVenus970 km22Sacra FossaeMars950 km23Maughanasilly FossaEuropa920 km24Cyane FossaeMars913 km25Yenkhoboy FossaeVenus900 km26Beenalaght FossaEuropa882 km27Bellona FossaeVenus855 km28Amenthes FossaeMars850 km29Ulysses FossaeMars850 km30Tithoniae FossaeMars838 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 117 fossae, 34 categories appear.
Greek36Latin22Arabian7Roman6Ireland4Norse3France3Assyro-Babylonian3