Mursan: Mars craters named after the towns of Up and Bihar

Scientists from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad, India, have made a significant contribution to the field of planetary exploration by discovering three previously unidentified craters on Mars. Mursan crater mars These craters have been officially named by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in honor of the former PRL director and two small Indian towns. It is a smaller crater with a width of 10 km. It is situated on the eastern rim of Lal Crater. It has been designated as “Mursan Crater.” This name has been chosen in honor of a town called Mursan in Uttar Pradesh, India. Lal crater mars  It is located in the Tharsis volcanic region on Mars. It is approximately at coordinates 21.0°S, 209°W. The three craters have been designated as Lal crater, Mursan crater, and Hilsa crater. One of these craters, measuring 65 km in diameter and centered at coordinates -20.98°, 209.34°, has been named “Lal Crater” as a tribute to the esteemed Indian geophysicist and former PRL Director, Prof. Devendra Lal. Prof. Lal led the institution from 1972 to 1983 and was widely recognized for his groundbreaking work in the field. Prof. Devendra Lal was a renowned cosmic ray physicist and an expert in Earth and planetary sciences. His research interests spanned a wide range. It is including the composition and energy spectrum of primary cosmic radiation, nuclear tracks, and radioactivity in lunar samples and meteorites. Hilsa Crater mars It is 10 km wide crater that overlaps the western rim of Lal Crater has been named “Hilsa Crater.” This name has been given in recognition of a town called Hilsa in Bihar, India. The selection of the name Mursan is significant as it is the birthplace of Dr. Anil Bharadwaj, the current director of PRL. It is a distinguished planetary scientist. Similarly, Hilsa holds importance as it is the birthplace of Dr. Rajeev Ranjan Bharti, a PRL scientist who was part of the team responsible for the discovery of these new craters on Mars.