ray crater
A relatively young impact crater from
which radiate streaks of material thrown out during the collision that created
the crater. Bright ray craters are found on various bodies in the Solar
System including the Moon, Mercury,
Ganymede, Callisto,
and Oberon. The lunar craters Tycho
(shown in the accompanying photo) and Copernicus
are particularly conspicuous examples, with bright rays extending for hundreds
of kilometers. Dark ray craters are rare and
have been seen mostly on Jupiter's largest moon Ganymede, e.g. the 30-km-wide
Kittu. Related categories
• CRATERS
GEOLOGY
AND PLANETARY SCIENCE
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