Why it matters

Gilgamesh connects impact morphology with Ganymede's more complex geology: grooves, bright terrains, and ancient surfaces.

What happenedA large southern-latitude crater on Ganymede, useful for comparing impact forms on the Solar System's largest moon.
Why it mattersGilgamesh connects impact morphology with Ganymede's more complex geology: grooves, bright terrains, and ancient surfaces.
How scientists knowGazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature; NASA Image and Video Library

Measurements and uncertainty

Diameter153 km
Depthnot listed
Ageancient impact feature
StatusConfirmed
Coordinates62.840° S / 124.830° W
Record levelminimal

Seed record: coordinates and diameter support navigation, while geology, age, and visual rights need enrichment.

Scientific profile

This minimal profile fixes coordinates, diameter, and context so it can later be expanded with imagery and geologic interpretation.

Data provenanceGazetteer 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 paletteicy turquoise, deep space, and distant moons
Scientific reconstruction: ancient crater on Ganymede's contrasting terrain.
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

The name was adopted by the IAU in 1979, reflecting the tradition of naming Ganymede features from mythological stories.

Sources

CSVJSONGilgamesh on Ganymede. Crater.world record. Last reviewed 2026-05-08.
Last reviewed
2026-05-08
Source baseline
Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature; NASA Image and Video Library
Uncertainty note
Seed record: coordinates and diameter support navigation, while geology, age, and visual rights need enrichment.
Gazetteer of Planetary NomenclatureInternational Astronomical Union / USGSNASA Image and Video LibraryNASA

Education mode

Facts

  • Official diameter: about 153 km.
  • The name refers to the Assyro-Babylonian epic.
  • Useful for future comparison with lunar and Martian craters.
Glossaryejecta, impact melt, breccia, central peak, erosion
Classroom questionWhich evidence separates an impact crater from a volcanic caldera?
CompareOccator