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

直径1,550 km
Depthnot listed
Ageabout 3.8 billion years
状态已确认
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.

科学档案

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

重建图廊

更多陨石坑视觉解读

如果已验证图像不足，档案会补充科学重建：不是用幻想替代事实，而是与来源清晰区分的视觉假设。

世界调色Mercurian slate, ash, and sharp light
Color visualization of the Caloris basin from MESSENGER data.
当前视觉预览基础图版：来源图像、轨道资料或编辑图版，视觉解读从这里开始。
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

每张档案都需要视觉预览：现有图像、经过美学处理的来源，或科学重建图。

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

研究历史

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

来源

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

事实

  • 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?
CompareKuiper