Xiao Zhao

crater Crater may refer to: Landforms *Impact crater, a depression caused by two celestial bodies impacting each other, such as a meteorite hitting a planet *Explosion crater, a hole formed in the ground produced by an explosion near or below the surfac ...

is small in comparison with many other craters on

Mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...

. However, Xiao Zhao's long bright rays make it a readily visible feature. The fresh, bright rays, which were created by material ejected outward during the impact event that formed the crater, indicate that Xiao Zhao is a relatively young crater on Mercury's surface. Hollows are present within Xiao Zhao and on the

ejecta Ejecta (from the Latin: "things thrown out", singular ejectum) are particles ejected from an area. In volcanology, in particular, the term refers to particles including pyroclastic materials (tephra) that came out of a volcanic explosion and magma ...

blanket near the rim. A confirmed ''dark spot'' is present in Xiao Zhao. This dark spot is associated with the hollows. Xiao Zhao 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 2008 after the 12th-century

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

painter Xiao Zhao. Xiao Zhao is located near Eastman crater.

Views

File:Xiao Zhao crater EN0251430540M.jpg, High-resolution image from MESSENGER at a low sun angle File:Xiao Zhao crater EN1028472584M.jpg, Oblique view at a high sun angle

References

Impact craters on Mercury {{Mercury-planet-stub