Saturnalia Fossae (Vesta)

Data as of 2026-10-23

What it is

Type
Fossa, fossae
IAU definition

Long, narrow depression

Diameter
344.9 km, 132 % of the radius of its body
Centre
28.05° N, 37.06° east (planetocentric latitude, east longitude from 0 to 360°, the IAU convention)
Name adopted
December 27, 2011
Origin of the name

Three-day Roman festival starting on December 17, with sacrifices, public feasting, gifts, and slaves were waited on by their masters.

Quoted in English, as the IAU publishes it.

In Galaxy

See it in Galaxy

Opens its body in the application, the camera turned towards Saturnalia Fossae.

Missions to its body

No observation record of this formation is crossed here. These are the missions the Planetary Data System declares for its body; none is claimed to have observed Saturnalia Fossae.

Sources

International Astronomical Union Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, read on October 23, 2026. Feature page: https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/14912

Type definitions: IAU Descriptor Terms, read on October 17, 2026. https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/DescriptorTerms

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