Feature type | Impact crater |
---|---|
Location | Ceres |
Coordinates | 24°13′N 137°26′E / 24.21°N 137.43°E [1] |
Diameter | 124.62 kilometres (77.44 mi) |
Discoverer | Dawn |
Naming | Dantu, the Gã god of planting |
Dantu /ˈdæntuː/ 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.
The crater is named after Dantu, the timekeeper and first god of planting ( millet) of the Gã people of Accra, Ghana. [2]
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]
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]