Mars Craters Named In Honour Of Physicist Devendra Lal And Towns Of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar

Three newly discovered craters on the surface of Mars have been named in honor of the late renowned cosmic ray physicist Devendra Lal, as well as the towns of Mursan and Hilsa in northern India.

Scientists from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad discovered three new craters on Mars. These craters are located in the Tharsis volcanic region (approximately 21.0 S, 209 W).

Following PRL's recommendation, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature has approved the names for these craters.

One crater, "Lal crater," named after Prof. Devendra Lal, a renowned Indian geophysicist and former PRL director (1972-1983), is 65 km wide and centered at -20.98° and 209.34°.

The second, "Mursan crater" named after a town in Uttar Pradesh, India, is about 10 km wide and lies on the eastern rim of Lal crater. The third, "Hilsa crater" also about 10 km wide, is on the western rim of Lal crater and is named after a town in Bihar, India.