Bilbo Colles is an area of small hills on Titan, the largest moon of the planet Saturn. The hills are located near Titan's equator at 4°14′S 38°34′W / 4.23°S 38.56°W / -4.23; -38.56[1] on western edge of bright region Quivira.[2]

Bilbo Colles: radar image by Cassini. Thin dark streaks around are dunes.

Bilbo Colles is named after Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle Earth who appears most prominently in The Hobbit.[1] The name follows a convention that Titanean colles (hills or small knobs) are named after characters in Tolkien's work.[3] The name was formally announced on December 19, 2012.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Bilbo Colles". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Accessed Dec 29, 2012.
  2. ^ "Titan with VIMS background and RADAR strips". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Accessed Dec 29, 2012.
  3. ^ International Astronomical Union. "Categories for Naming Features on Planets and Satellites". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Accessed Nov 14, 2012.
  4. ^ Jennifer Blue, "Names for Five Colles and One Patera on Titan" Archived 2015-01-09 at the Wayback Machine. USGS Astrologeology Science Center. Dec 19, 2012.