Why it matters

Kuiper adds a smaller-scale counterpoint to the giant Caloris basin.

What happenedA bright young Mercury crater, notable for high-reflectance ejecta.
Why it mattersKuiper adds a smaller-scale counterpoint to the giant Caloris basin.
How scientists knowMESSENGER Mission; Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature

Measurements and uncertainty

Diameter62 km
Depthnot listed
Agerelatively young
StatusConfirmed
Coordinates11.000° S / 31.500° W
Record levelminimal

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

Scientific profile

Fresh ejecta and crisp morphology make the crater useful for relative surface dating.

Data provenanceMESSENGER Mission; Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature

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
Fresh Mercury craters often stand out through bright ejecta.
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 crater is known through Mercury mission data and official planetary nomenclature.

Sources

CSVJSONKuiper. Crater.world record. Last reviewed 2026-05-08.
Last reviewed
2026-05-08
Source baseline
MESSENGER Mission; Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature
Uncertainty note
Seed record: coordinates and diameter support navigation, while geology, age, and visual rights need enrichment.
MESSENGER MissionNASA / Johns Hopkins APLGazetteer of Planetary NomenclatureInternational Astronomical Union / USGS

Education mode

Facts

  • Named after astronomer Gerard Kuiper.
  • Young craters help establish the sequence of surface events.
Glossaryejecta, impact melt, breccia, central peak, erosion
Classroom questionWhich evidence separates an impact crater from a volcanic caldera?
CompareCaloris