Safronov Regio (formerly Krun Macula) is the westernmost of the "Brass Knuckles", a series of equatorial dark regions on Pluto.
 Enhanced color view of Safronov Regio's western border with Sputnik Planitia | |
| Location | Pluto |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 13°22′S 150°31′W / 13.36°S 150.51°W[1] |
| Diameter | ~740 km (460 mi)[1] |
| Discoverer | New Horizons |
| Eponym | Viktor Safronov |
Observation and naming
editSafronov Regio was first observed as the New Horizons spacecraft approached Pluto and its system of moons. As Pluto rotated, a series of equatorial dark regions were observed and informally nicknamed the Brass Knuckles,[2] with Safronov Regio being the westermost of the dark regions. It was initially informally named Krun Macula after Krun, the greatest of the five Mandaean lords of the underworld.[3][4] However, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) instead officially approved the name Safronov Regio in honor of Russian astronomer Viktor Safronov, an early proponent of the planetesimal hypothesis for Solar System formation. The name was approved on 22 September 2023.[1]
Description
editSafronov Regio is the third largest equatorial dark region on Pluto, after Belton Regio and Harrington Regio. It extends nearly to 180 degrees longitude, the Plutonian longitude opposite Charon.
In popular culture
editKrun Macula is the name of one of the ship of the character Pluto in Heaven Will Be Mine, a 2018 visual novel.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Safronov Regio". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program. (Center Latitude: -13.36°, Center Longitude: 209.49°)
- ^ Chang, Kenneth (12 July 2015). "The Dark Belt Around Pluto". New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
- ^ Chang, Kenneth (14 July 2015). "NASA's New Horizons Spacecraft Completes Flyby of Pluto". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
- ^ Lendering, Jona. "Mandaeans on Pluto". Ancient History Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- ^ "Heaven Will Be Mine". Visual Novel Database. Retrieved 11 August 2024.