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Dantu (crater)

Coordinates: 24°13′N 137°26′E / 24.21°N 137.43°E / 24.21; 137.43
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Dantu
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Dantu crater.
Feature typeImpact crater
LocationCeres
Coordinates24°13′N 137°26′E / 24.21°N 137.43°E / 24.21; 137.43[1]
Diameter124.62 kilometres (77.44 mi)
DiscovererDawn
NamingDantu, the god of planting

Dantu /ˈdænt/ is a large crater on Ceres, located within the Vendimia Planitia. It is rimmed by a number of minor faculae, which together form Bright Spot 2.

Etymology

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The crater is named after Dantu, the timekeeper and first god of planting (millet) of the Gã people of Accra, Ghana.[2]

Formation

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Dantu is thought to have formed 230+30
−30
Ma (million years) ago, based on the amount of crater impacts present within its ejecta blankets.[3]

Physical features

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The walls of Dantu are quite heavily eroded, with most of the north-eastern wall having collapsed completely.[3] Due to Dantu's relatively young age, its crater floor is smooth, with few additional craters present within it.[3] The crater floor also features a system of fractures, mostly located in the southern part of the crater.[3]

The center of Dantu is contains a peak, with a ring complex around it.[4] The majority of Dantu's pit craters surround this feature, with said pit craters largely ranging between 400 and 900 metres in diameter.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Staff (6 July 2015). "Planetary Names: Crater, craters: Dantu on Ceres". USGS. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  2. ^ Marion Kilson (2013) Dancing with the Gods: Essays in Ga Ritual
  3. ^ a b c d Kallisch, J.; et al. (2017). "Geological Evolution and Composition of the Dantu Crater" (PDF). EPSC Abstracts. 11. European Planetary Science Congress: 1. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Sizemore, Hanna G.; et al. (16 July 2017). "Pitted terrains on (1) Ceres and implications for shallow subsurface volatile distribution". Geophysical Research Letters. 44 (13). American Geophysical Union: 6570–6578. doi:10.1002/2017GL073970. PMC 5606497. PMID 28989206.

Further reading

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