Limtoc is a crater on the surface of Mars's inner moon Phobos. [1] The crater, the diameter of which is 2 kilometers, is located within the larger, and better-known surface feature, Stickney crater. [1] Limtoc was officially named by the International Astronomical Union on 29 November 2006, after a character from Jonathan Swift’s satire Gulliver's Travels. [1]
Limtoc formed roughly 109 million years ago, making it one of the youngest features on Phobos. [2] When the Limtoc impactor collided with Phobos, it created a significant amount of ejecta; ejecta which was sent towards the northern edge of Stickney collided with that crater's rim, while ejecta sent towards the southern edge was largely catapulted out of Stickney altogether. [3] This ejecta has partially contributed to the formation of the blue spectral coloration seen on the south-western edge of the Stickney crater, along with the ejecta from Stickney itself. [2]
Limtoc is a crater on the surface of Mars's inner moon Phobos. [1] The crater, the diameter of which is 2 kilometers, is located within the larger, and better-known surface feature, Stickney crater. [1] Limtoc was officially named by the International Astronomical Union on 29 November 2006, after a character from Jonathan Swift’s satire Gulliver's Travels. [1]
Limtoc formed roughly 109 million years ago, making it one of the youngest features on Phobos. [2] When the Limtoc impactor collided with Phobos, it created a significant amount of ejecta; ejecta which was sent towards the northern edge of Stickney collided with that crater's rim, while ejecta sent towards the southern edge was largely catapulted out of Stickney altogether. [3] This ejecta has partially contributed to the formation of the blue spectral coloration seen on the south-western edge of the Stickney crater, along with the ejecta from Stickney itself. [2]