Mommur Chasma is the largest ' canyon' on the known part of the surface of Uranus' moon Oberon. [1] This feature probably formed during crustal extension at the early stages of moon's evolution, when the interior of Oberon expanded and its ice crust cracked as a result. [2] The canyon is an example of graben ( rift valley) or scarp produced by normal fault(s). The chasma was first imaged by Voyager 2 spacecraft in January 1986. [3]
The Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature states that Mommur Chasma is named after the forest home of the fairy king Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream. [1] In fact, Oberon's home is not named in Shakespeare's play; it appears instead in the French epic Huon of Bordeaux.
Mommur Chasma is the largest ' canyon' on the known part of the surface of Uranus' moon Oberon. [1] This feature probably formed during crustal extension at the early stages of moon's evolution, when the interior of Oberon expanded and its ice crust cracked as a result. [2] The canyon is an example of graben ( rift valley) or scarp produced by normal fault(s). The chasma was first imaged by Voyager 2 spacecraft in January 1986. [3]
The Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature states that Mommur Chasma is named after the forest home of the fairy king Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream. [1] In fact, Oberon's home is not named in Shakespeare's play; it appears instead in the French epic Huon of Bordeaux.