On solar system nomenclature

Arguments are presented for naming topographic features on other solar system objects after human beings other than astronomers; and to institute a more consistent scheme for Jovian satellite nomenclature.     

IAU nomenclature for topographic features on Mercury

The proposed new International Astronomical Union nomenclature for topographic features on Mercury, as uncovered by Mariner 10, is briefly outlined.     

Stratigraphy of the Caloris basin,Mercury

The 1300-km-diameter Caloris impact basin is surrounded by well-defined ejecta units that can be recognized from more than 1000 km, radially outward from the basin edge. A formal rock stratigraphic nomenclature is proposed for the Caloris ejecta units, which are collectively called the Caloris Group. Each of the individual formations within the Group are described and compared to similar rock units associated with the lunar Imbrium and Orientale basins. A crater degradation chronology, linked the the Caloris event, is also proposed to assist in stratigraphic correlation on a Mercury-wide basis.     

Specifications concerning names,designations, and nomenclature for astronomical radiation sources outside the solar system

Specifications concerning names, designations, and nomenclature for astronomical radiation sources outside the solar system     

Topographic nomenclature on planetary bodies

General guidlines are presented for International Astronomical Union decisions on nomenclature for surface features on the planets and their satellites.     

Jovian satellite nomenclature

A brief review of the history of Jovian satellite nomenclature is given to indicate the background for the names proposed for the numbered satellites. The new names are consistent with established tradition and should cause minimal confusion with other named objects in the solar system.     

Guidelines for the naming of new meteorite finds from the Nullarbor Region,South Australia

Abstract— To date, 24 possibly distinct meteorites have been reported from the Nullarbor Region in South Australia and many more recoveries remain to be described. Following Bevan and Binns (1989), the system of nomenclature for meteorites from the Western Australian Nullarbor has been extended into the South Australian Nullarbor. For the purposes of nomenclature, the South Australian Nullarbor has been divided into 27 named “areas.” Henceforth, distinct meteorites will take the name of the area in which they were found and a number (e.g., 001). The names of previously documented meteorites from the region remain unchanged.     

MAXWELLs Äthertheorien

The present paper is devoted to MAXWELL 's most peculiar finding of his celebrated theory of electrodynamics. We explain carefully the essential ideas of MAXWELL 's works from 1855 and 1861/62 in a modern style of reasoning and the nomenclature used nowadays. Quotations refer to ”︁The Scientific Papers of J. C. MAXWELL ” (1890).     

Remarks on the nomenclature of mercury

Longitudes of surface marking observed on Mercury by E.M. Antoniadi are determined. The most frequent of the locations are used to determine the most probable positions on Mercury's surface for the names defined on Antoniadi's 88-day planisphere. It is suggested that these locations can serve as a valid and accurate basis for Mercurian nomenclature.     

The new Martian nomenclature of the international Astronomical Union

A new nomenclature for Martian regions and topographic features uncovered by Mariner 9, as officially adopted by the International Astronomical Union, is described. About 180 craters, generally of diameters >100 km, have been named, as well as 13 classes of topographic features designated catena, chasma, dorsum, fossa, labyrinthus, mensa, mons, patera, planitia, planum, tholus, vallis, and vastitas. In addition seven craters and the Kepler Dorsum are named on Phobos, and two craters on Deimos. Coordinates and maps of each named features are displayed.     

The IAU Meteor Shower Nomenclature Rules

The International Astronomical Union at its 2006 General Assembly in Prague has adopted a set of rules for meteor shower nomenclature, a working list with designated names (with IAU numbers and three-letter codes), and established a Task Group for Meteor Shower Nomenclature in Commission 22 (Meteors and Interplanetary Dust) to help define which meteor showers exist from well defined groups of meteoroids from a single parent body.     

Magnetic ionization fronts – II. Jump conditions for oblique magnetization

We present the jump conditions for ionization fronts with oblique magnetic fields. The standard nomenclature of R- and D-type fronts can still be applied, but in the case of oblique magnetization there are fronts of each type about each of the fast- and slow-mode speeds. As an ionization front slows, it will drive first a fast- and then a slow-mode shock into the surrounding medium. Even for rather weak upstream magnetic fields, the effect of magnetization on ionization front evolution can be important.     

Meteorites from the Nullarbor Region,Western Australia: I. A review of past recoveries and a procedure for naming new finds

Abstract— Currently, 44 distinct meteorites are recorded from the Nullarbor Region in Western Australia. Recovery data for the Billygoat Donga, Cardanumbi, Cocklebiddy, Forrest Lakes, Laundry East, Lookout Hill, North East Reid, North Reid, Reid, Webb, West Forrest, West Reid and Yayjinna meteorites are amended, and North Forrest is recognized as distinct from North West Forrest (H). Since 1971, the recovery of more than 500 specimens (predominantly ordinary chondrites) from the desert has made the Nullarbor Region one of the most productive areas of the world for meteorite recoveries and has caused major problems for meteorite nomenclature. To overcome a lack of geographical names, we have delineated a grid of 47 named ‘areas’ in the Nullarbor Region. Henceforth, distinct meteorites will take the name of the ‘area’ in which they are found and a number (e.g., 001) in order of discovery. In general, the names of past recoveries remain unchanged. The absence of transportation processes in the region, and accurate documentation of the distribution of finds allows ‘pairing’ of specimens to at least 90% level of confidence.     

High-resolution Dione atlas derived from Cassini-ISS images

The Cassini imaging science subsystem (ISS) acquired 449 high-resolution images (<800 m/pixel) during one close flyby of Dione in 2005 and three non-targeted flybys in 2004, 2006, and 2007. We combined these images with lower-resolution Cassini images and one other taken by Voyager cameras to produce a high-resolution semi-controlled mosaic of Dione. This global mosaic is the baseline for a high-resolution Dione atlas that consists of 15 tiles mapped at a scale of 1:1,000,000. The nomenclature used in this atlas was proposed by the Cassini imaging team and was approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The whole atlas is available to the public through the Imaging Team's website [http://ciclops.org/maps].     

High-resolution Enceladus atlas derived from Cassini-ISS images

The Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) acquired 377 high-resolution images (<1 km/pixel) during three close flybys of Enceladus in 2005 [Porco, C.C., et al., 2006. Cassini observes the active south pole of Enceladus. Science 311, 1393-1401.]. We combined these images with lower resolution Cassini images and four others taken by Voyager cameras to produce a high-resolution global controlled mosaic of Enceladus. This global mosaic is the baseline for a high-resolution Enceladus atlas that consists of 15 tiles mapped at a scale of 1:500,000. The nomenclature used in this atlas was proposed by the Cassini imaging team and was approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The whole atlas is available to the public through the Imaging Team's website (http://ciclops.org/maps).     

Disharmony of the spheres: Recent trends in planetary surface nomenclature

Inadvisable departures from tradition in naming newly mapped features on Mars, Mercury, and the Moon have been implemented and proposed since 1970. Functional need for place names also has become confused with cartographic convenience. Much of the resulting new nomenclature is neither unique, efficient, nor imaginative. The longstanding classical orientation in Solar System geography needs to be firmly reasserted. The Mädler scheme for designating smaller craters on the Moon should be retained and extended to the farside. Names of surface features on other bodies might best reflect the traditional connotations of planet and satellite names: for example, most crates on Mars would be named for mythical heroes and military personalities in ancient history, craters on Mercury might commemorate explorers or commercial luminaries, and features on Venus would bear the names of famous women.     

High-resolution Atlases of Mimas, Tethys, and Iapetus derived from Cassini-ISS images

The Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) acquired 282, 258, and 513 high-resolution images (<800 m/pixel) of Mimas, Tethys, and Iapetus, respectively, during two close flyby of Tethys and Iapetus and eight non-targeted flybys between 2004 and 2007. We combined these images with lower-resolution Cassini images and others taken by Voyager cameras to produce high-resolution semi-controlled mosaics of Mimas, Tethys, and Iapetus. These global mosaics are the baseline for high-resolution Mimas and Iapetus maps and a Tethys atlas. The nomenclature used in these maps was proposed by the Cassini imaging team and was approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The two maps and the atlas are available to the public through the Imaging Team's website [http://ciclops.org/maps] and the Planetary Data System [http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov].     

Measuring impact crater depth throughout the solar system

One important, almost ubiquitous, tool for understanding the surfaces of solid bodies throughout the solar system is the study of impact craters. While measuring a distribution of crater diameters and locations is an important tool for a wide variety of studies, so too is measuring a crater's “depth.” Depth can inform numerous studies including the strength of a surface and modification rates in the local environment. There is, however, no standard data set, definition, or technique to perform this data-gathering task, and the abundance of different definitions of “depth” and methods for estimating that quantity can lead to misunderstandings in and of the literature. In this review, we describe a wide variety of data sets and methods to analyze those data sets that have been, are currently, or could be used to derive different types of crater depth measurements. We also recommend certain nomenclature in doing so to help standardize practice in the field. We present a review section of all crater depths that have been published on different solar system bodies which shows how the field has evolved through time and how some common assumptions might not be wholly accurate. We conclude with several recommendations for researchers which could help different data sets to be more easily understood and compared.     

The Role of Data Centres in the Era of Electronic Publishing|How CDS weaves links towards astronomical databases and archives

The astronomy data centres, and in particular the Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS), have been building electronic information services for many years. References of publications, observational data related to objects, data tables, nomenclature, have been homogenized and organized into information retrieval systems. This undertaking implied an effort of collaboration between data centres, data providers, agencies, journal editors, etc. Evolution in recent years has brought the data centres closer from the publishing process. General standards for electronic tables, tabular data, and catalogues have been proposed and implemented. With the emergence of fully electronic publication, new digital library services are being organized, and pave the way to innovative new services, linking publications to information from other sources, and making use of new methods for textual information retrieval. The data centres expect to play a key rôle in these new developments, taking advantage of their expertise in the development of value-added services, and of their long-term involvement towards a fully linked astronomy information system.     

The Meteoritical Bulletin,No. 105

Meteoritical Bulletin 105 contains 2666 meteorites including 12 falls (Aouinet Legraa, Banma, Buritizal, Ejby, Kamargaon, Moshampa, Mount Blanco, Murrili, Osceola, Sariçiçek, Sidi Ali Ou Azza, Stubenberg), with 2244 ordinary chondrites, 142 HED achondrites, 116 carbonaceous chondrites, 37 Lunar meteorites, 20 enstatite chondrites, 20 iron meteorites, 20 ureilites, 19 Martian meteorites, 12 Rumuruti chondrites, 10 primitive achondrites, 9 mesosiderites, 5 angrites, 4 pallasites, 4 ungrouped achondrites, 2 ungrouped chondrites, 1 enstatite achondrite, and 1 relict meteorite, and with 1545 from Antarctica, 686 from Africa, 245 from Asia, 147 from South America, 22 from North America, 14 from Europe, 5 from Oceania, 1 from unknown origin. Note: 5 meteorites from Russia were counted as European. It also includes a list of approved new Dense Collection Areas and a nomenclature of the Aletai (IIIE‐an) iron meteorites from Xinjiang, China.