Vonnegut (crater)

Definition
Vonnegut is an impact crater on the planet Mercury, situated near the planet’s north pole.

Overview
The crater was officially named by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2017 in honor of the American author Kurt Vonnegut. Its name reflects the literary connection that part of Vonnegut’s 1959 novel The Sirens of Titan is set on Mercury. Prior to its formal naming, the feature was referred to as “e5” in scientific literature.

Etymology / Origin
The eponym “Vonnegut” derives from Kurt Vonnegut (1922–2007), a prominent 20th‑century novelist and short‑story writer. The IAU’s naming convention for Mercurian craters draws from deceased artists, musicians, painters, and authors of historical significance.

Characteristics

• Location: Coordinates 82° 43′ N, 249° 55′ W (approximately 82.72° N, 249.91° W).
• Quadrangle: Borealis.
• Diameter: 26.61 km (≈ 16.53 mi).
• Physical Features: The crater lies within a permanently shadowed region of Mercury’s north polar area. S‑band radar observations from the Arecibo Observatory (1999‑2005) reveal a radar‑bright zone along the southern interior, interpreted as a probable water‑ice deposit. Subsequent measurements by MESSENGER’s Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) indicate that the radar‑bright material is covered by low‑reflectance surface material.
• Surroundings: Vonnegut is located north of the slightly larger Yoshikawa crater.

Related Topics

• Mercury (planet) – surface geology and polar deposits.
• Impact cratering processes on terrestrial planets.
• Planetary nomenclature and the role of the IAU.
• Water ice detection on Mercury and other airless bodies.
• Kurt Vonnegut – literary legacy and cultural references in planetary science.

References

1. “Vonnegut (crater).” Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
2. Deutsch, A. N., et al. (2017). “New evidence for surface water ice in small‑scale cold traps and in three large craters at the north polar region of Mercury from the Mercury Laser Altimeter.” Geophysical Research Letters, 44(18).
3. Chabot, N. L., et al. (2018). Mercury’s Polar Deposits. In Mercury: The View After MESSENGER. Cambridge Planetary Science.
4. Harmon, J. K., et al. (2011). “Radar imagery of Mercury’s putative polar ice: 1999–2005 Arecibo results.” Icarus, 211, 37‑50.