Samhain Catenae
{{Short description|Series of craters on Ceres}}
{{Infobox feature on celestial object
|name = Samhain Catenae
|image = PIA20184-Ceres-DwarfPlanet-Dawn-4thMapOrbit-LAMO-image1-20151210a.jpg
|caption = An image of Samhain Catenae. It is the line of craters along the bottom of the image.
|type = Catenae
|location = Ceres
|coordinates = {{coord|2.75|S|107.15|W|globe:ceres_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
|coordinates_footnotes ={{gpn|15410|Samhain Catenae}} (Center Latitude: -2.75°, Center Longitude: 252.85°; Planetocentric, +East)
|discoverer = Dawn spacecraft team
2015
|eponym = Samhain, Gaelic festival for the end of the harvest season in October and November.{{cite web|url=https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/15410|title=Samhain Catenae Information|publisher=USGS|work=Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature|access-date=2025-05-02}}
}}
Samhain Catenae is a crater chain on the surface of the dwarf planet and large asteroid Ceres.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia22086-samhain-catenae-on-ceres/|title=Samhain Catenae on Ceres|date=Nov 9, 2017|website=jpl.nasa.gov}} It is made up of a series of 6 linear pit chains totaling a distance of 1211 km. It is the largest known catenae on the dwarf planet.{{Cite web|url=https://www.scientia.global/dr-scott-king-the-dawn-mission-casting-new-light-on-ceres/|title=The Dawn Mission: Casting New Light on Ceres|first=Scott|last=King|date=Sep 5, 2019|website=scientia.global}} It is located to the West of Liberalia Mons and to the East of Homowo Regio.{{Cite web}url=https://asc-planetarynames-data.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ceres.pdf|title=Ceres Map|website=asc-planetarynames-data.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com}} It consists of the area between the Occator and Urvara/Yalode craters.{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Samhain-Catenae-and-Ceres-topography-a-Ceres-topography-and-Samhain-Catenae-from-Dawn_fig5_360658275|website=researchgate.net|date=May 2022|title=Ceres' Broad-Scale Surface Geomorphology Largely Due To Asymmetric Internal Convection|first1=Scott|last1=King|first2=Michael|last2=Bland|first3=Simone|last3=Marchi|first4=Carol|last4=Raymond|first5=Christopher|last5=Russel|first6=Jennifer|last6=Scully|first7=H|last7=Sizemore}}
Etymology
Samhain Catenae is named after the Gaelic festival Samhain which was celebrated in present day Ireland and Scotland for 7 days during October and November to celebrate the end of the harvesting season between the Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice. It was originally named Samhain Catena in December of 2015 because it was believed to only consist of one crater, however on June 20th, 2016 it was renamed to Samhain Catenae.{{Cite web|url=https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/15410|website=planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov|title=Samhain Catenae Name}}{{Cite web|url=https://science.nasa.gov/resource/dawns-lowest-orbit-near-samhain-catena/|website=science.nasa.gov|title=Dawn's Lowest Orbit: Near Samhain Catena|date=2015-12-22}}
Geology
It is believed that the Samhain Catenae was formed through asymmetric convection and a diapirs similar as what is seen in the Hanami Planum.{{Cite journal |last1=Scully |first1=J. E. C. |last2=Buczkowski |first2=D. L. |last3=Schmedemann |first3=N. |last4=Raymond |first4=C. A. |last5=Castillo-Rogez |first5=J. C. |last6=King |first6=S. D. |last7=Bland |first7=M. T. |last8=Ermakov |first8=A. I. |last9=O'Brien |first9=D. P. |last10=Marchi |first10=S. |last11=Longobardo |first11=A. |last12=Russell |first12=C. T. |last13=Fu |first13=R. R. |last14=Neveu |first14=M. |date=2017-10-16 |title=Evidence for the Interior Evolution of Ceres from Geologic Analysis of Fractures |url=https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2017GL075086 |journal=Geophysical Research Letters |language=en |volume=44 |issue=19 |pages=9564–9572 |doi=10.1002/2017GL075086 |bibcode=2017GeoRL..44.9564S |issn=0094-8276}} The thickness of the Catenae is about 36 miles deep compared to the 27 mile average over the whole dwarf planet.{{Cite web|url=https://www.planetary.org/space-images/samhain-catenae|website=planetary.org|title=Samhain Catenae Structure}} There is very little mineralogical difference between the catenae and the rest of Ceres further adding evidence to its tectonic origin.{{cite journal |last1=Longobardo |first1=Andrea |last2=Carrozzo |first2=Filippo Giacomo |last3=Galiano |first3=Anna |last4=Scully |first4=Jennifer E. C. |last5=Parekh |first5=Rutu |last6=Palomba |first6=Ernesto |last7=De Sanctis |first7=Maria Cristina |last8=Ammannito |first8=Eleonora |last9=Raponi |first9=Andrea |last10=Tosi |first10=Federico |last11=Ciarniello |first11=Mauro |last12=Zambon |first12=Francesca |last13=Rognini |first13=Edoardo |last14=Capria |first14=Maria Teresa |last15=Raymond |first15=Carol A. |last16=Russell |first16=Christopher T. |title=Spectral Analysis of Ceres' Main Linear Features |journal=Minerals |date=12 August 2022 |volume=12 |issue=8 |pages=1013 |doi=10.3390/min12081013 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2022Mine...12.1013L |language=en |issn=2075-163X}}
See also
References
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