Matabei 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 ...
on
Mercury. It has a set of dark
rays
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (gra ...
. Dark rays are rare on Mercury, but other occurrences have been identified, such as at
Mozart crater. Mozart crater is interpreted to have excavated dark material from depth during the impact event, creating dark streamers. The dark rays from Matabei may have a similar origin.
Matabei was named by the
IAU
The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach ...
in 2009 after Japanese painter
Iwasa Matabei
Iwasa Matabei ( ja, 岩佐 又兵衛, translit=Iwasa Matabē; original name Araki Katsumochi 1578 – July 20, 1650) was a Japanese artist of the early Tokugawa period, who specialized in genre scenes of historical events and illustrations ...
.
To the northeast of Matabei is the crater
Pigalle. To the south is
Rilke, and to the northwest is
Guido d'Arezzo
Guido of Arezzo ( it, Guido d'Arezzo; – after 1033) was an Italian music theorist and pedagogue of High medieval music. A Benedictine monk, he is regarded as the inventor—or by some, developer—of the modern staff notation that had a ma ...
.
Matabei crater MESSENGER WAC IGF to RGB.jpg, Exaggerated color view with Matabei at center
Matabei crater EN0131773885M.png, Oblique image acquired by MESSENGER on its second flyby in October 2008
References
Impact craters on Mercury
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