Why it matters

Caloris shows that the catalog must handle not only bowls, but also giant basins.

What happenedOne of the largest impact basins in the inner Solar System, defining Mercury's appearance.
Why it mattersCaloris shows that the catalog must handle not only bowls, but also giant basins.
How scientists knowMESSENGER Mission; Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature; NASA Image and Video Library

Measurements and uncertainty

القطر1,550 km
Depthnot listed
Ageabout 3.8 billion years
الحالةمؤكدة
Coordinates30.500° N / 170.200° W
Record levelextended

Extended record: core parameters have an editorial baseline, while age, depth, and preservation still require primary-source review.

الوصف العلمي

The basin is surrounded by rings, plains, and tectonic features tied to an enormous impact event.

Data provenanceMESSENGER Mission; Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature; NASA Image and Video Library

معرض إعادة البناء

قراءات بصرية أعمق للفوهة

إذا لم تكفِ الصورة الموثقة، تُستكمل البطاقة بإعادة بناء علمية: ليست خيالاً بدلاً من الحقيقة، بل فرضية بصرية منفصلة بوضوح عن المصادر.

لوحة هذا العالمMercurian slate, ash, and sharp light
Color visualization of the Caloris basin from MESSENGER data.
المعاينة البصرية الحاليةالبطاقة الأساسية: مصدر أو مادة مدارية أو لوحة تحريرية يبدأ منها التحليل البصري.
Reverse reconstructionmoving from the present trace back to the impact event
Chronological inversionreading the object from future state back through earlier layers
The present as an archive of the futuretreating today's profile as evidence for future analysis

Visual reconstruction

Reverse reconstruction → Chronological inversion → Bidirectional analysis → The present as an archive of the future

تحتاج كل بطاقة إلى معاينة بصرية: صورة موجودة، مصدر معالج جمالياً، أو إعادة بناء علمية.

Reverse reconstructionmoving from the present trace back to the impact event
Chronological inversionreading the object from future state back through earlier layers
Bidirectional analysischecking past-to-present and present-to-past interpretations
The present as an archive of the futuretreating today's profile as evidence for future analysis

تاريخ البحث

Caloris was partly imaged by Mariner 10 and studied in detail by MESSENGER once full Mercury mapping became available.

المصادر

CSVJSONCaloris. Crater.world record. Last reviewed 2026-05-08.
Last reviewed
2026-05-08
Source baseline
MESSENGER Mission; Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature; NASA Image and Video Library
Uncertainty note
Extended record: core parameters have an editorial baseline, while age, depth, and preservation still require primary-source review.
MESSENGER MissionNASA / Johns Hopkins APLGazetteer of Planetary NomenclatureInternational Astronomical Union / USGSNASA Image and Video LibraryNASA

Education mode

حقائق

  • The basin is comparable in size to large terrestrial regions.
  • Its name is linked with heat and Mercury's solar geometry.
Glossaryejecta, impact melt, breccia, central peak, erosion
Classroom questionWhich evidence separates an impact crater from a volcanic caldera?
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