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

Diameter1,550 km
Depthnot listed
Ageabout 3.8 billion years
StatusConfirmed
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.

Scientific profile

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

Reconstruction gallery

More visual readings of the crater

If verified imagery is not enough, the profile receives a scientific reconstruction: not fantasy in place of fact, but a visual hypothesis clearly separated from sources.

World paletteMercurian slate, ash, and sharp light
Color visualization of the Caloris basin from MESSENGER data.
Current visual previewBase plate: source image, satellite material, or editorial plate where visual reading begins.
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

Every profile needs a visualization preview: an existing image, an aesthetically treated source, or a scientific reconstruction.

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

Research history

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

Sources

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

Facts

  • 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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