Anubis (crater)
The Galileo space probe's image of Anubis crater | |
| Feature type | Concentric Crater |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 84°26′S 128°40′W / 84.44°S 128.66°W |
| Diameter | 114 kilometres (71 mi)[1] |
| Eponym | Anubis |
Anubis is a crater near the south pole of Jupiter's largest moon Ganymede.[2] It is a concentric crater with at least two crater rims, with the smaller rim being completely inside the bigger one. The crater's outer rim is approximately 114 kilometres (71 mi) wide.[1]
Naming
Anubis is named after the Egyptian god Anubis, the jackal-headed god of the dead, mummification and funerals.[3] The name was approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1988.[1]
The crater's name follows the IAU's convention of naming craters on Ganymede after deities, heroes and places from Middle Eastern mythology—which includes Egyptian mythology. Many nearby surface features such as Isis and Bubastis Sulci all share the same Egyptian mythology theme.[4]
Geography
Anubis is located in the Hathor quadrangle of Ganymede which encompasses the entire region around the moon's south pole.[5] Oftentimes, sunlight cannot reach the deepest regions of the crater (like its center), and these areas are plunged in constant darkness for long periods of time because of the low tilt of Ganymede's axis and orbit relative to the Sun.
Exploration
Anubis is located close to Ganymede's south pole, which makes it relatively difficult to observe when using probes that are only performing a flyby along Jupiter's equator and the ecliptic plane. The low axial tilt of Jupiter and (3.1°)[6]and, consequently, the similarly low tilt of Ganymede’s axis and orbit, which are closely aligned with its parent planet’s equator—prevents spacecraft that are traveling along the ecliptic plane from obtaining clear views of Anubis. Because of this, the spacecraft with the best view to date is the Galileo space probe, which entered into orbit around Jupiter in December 1995 and was intentionally destroyed in Jupiter's atmosphere in September 2003.[7] The probe's shifting orbits allowed it to see the polar regions of Jupiter's major moons.
As of 2025, there are no high-resolution images of Anubis.
Future missions
The European Space Agency's (ESA) Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) orbiter is scheduled to arrive at Jupiter in July 2031.[8] After spending around three and a half years in orbit around Jupiter and performing multiple flybys of Europa, Callisto and Ganymede, Juice will settle into a low polar orbit around Ganymede,[9] allowing the probe to get better images of Anubis as it periodically passes over Ganymede's south pole.
See also
References
- ^ a b c "GANYMEDE – Anubis". USGS. 2015. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
- ^ "Controlled Color Photomosaic Map of Ganymede" (PDF). USGS. 2003. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
- ^ "Anubis, Egyptian god". Britannica. 2025. Retrieved 2025-12-16.
- ^ "Ganymede Crater search". USGS. 2015. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
- ^ Ganymede Map Images Archived 2007-11-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Interplanetary Seasons". Science@NASA. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
- ^ "Galileo – Overview". NASA Solar System Exploration. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
- ^ "Juice Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer". ESA. 2023. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
- ^ "Juice's journey and Jupiter system tour". ESA. 2022. Retrieved 2025-12-01.