Mariko is an

impact crater An impact crater is a circular depression in the surface of a solid astronomical object formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact crater ...

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...

. In 1997 it was named for a common female Japanese

first name First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

, in accordance with

planetary nomenclature Planetary nomenclature, like terrestrial nomenclature, is a system of uniquely identifying features on the surface of a planet or natural satellite so that the features can be easily located, described, and discussed. Since the invention of the tel ...

rules for Venusian craters under 20 km in diameter. The crater is located in the V-36 quadrangle of Venus.

References

* Dictionary of First Names, by

Alfred J. Kolatch Alfred Jacob Kolatch (January 2, 1916 - February 7, 2007) was an American rabbi known for his more than 50 published books, notably ''The Jewish Book of Why'' and his books on Jewish names. Education Kolatch was a graduate of Yeshiva College an ...

; Putnam Publishing Group, New York, 1990. Impact craters on Venus {{crater-stub