Why it matters

Valhalla shows that in the outer Solar System a crater can be not a bowl, but an entire planetary-scale ring system.

What happenedA giant multi-ring impact structure on Callisto whose scale makes it one of the anchor objects of the outer catalog.
Why it mattersValhalla shows that in the outer Solar System a crater can be not a bowl, but an entire planetary-scale ring system.
How scientists knowGazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature; NASA Image and Video Library

Measurements and uncertainty

Diamètre3,000 km
Depthnot listed
Ageancient ringed feature
StatutConfirmé
Coordinates14.700° N / 56.000° W
Record levelextended

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

Profil scientifique

Valhalla's rings read as the response of an ice-rock crust to a giant impact, useful for comparing impact mechanics across small and large bodies.

Data provenanceGazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature; NASA Image and Video Library

Galerie de reconstruction

Davantage de lectures visuelles du cratère

Si l'image vérifiée ne suffit pas, la fiche reçoit une reconstruction scientifique : non pas de la fantaisie à la place du fait, mais une hypothèse visuelle séparée des sources.

Palette du mondeicy turquoise, deep space, and distant moons
Scientific reconstruction: ringed basin on Callisto's dark icy surface.
Aperçu visuel actuelPlaque de base : source, matériau orbital ou planche éditoriale où commence la lecture visuelle.
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

Chaque fiche doit avoir un aperçu visuel : image existante, source traitée esthétiquement ou reconstruction scientifique.

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

Historique de recherche

The feature is listed in the IAU/USGS planetary nomenclature and is known from missions to the Jupiter system.

Sources

CSVJSONValhalla on Callisto. 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
Extended record: core parameters have an editorial baseline, while age, depth, and preservation still require primary-source review.
Gazetteer of Planetary NomenclatureInternational Astronomical Union / USGSNASA Image and Video LibraryNASA

Education mode

Faits

  • Official Gazetteer diameter: about 3000 km.
  • The name refers to Valhalla from Norse mythology.
  • For the site, it anchors the Jupiter-moons branch.
Glossaryejecta, impact melt, breccia, central peak, erosion
Classroom questionWhich evidence separates an impact crater from a volcanic caldera?
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