Ptolemaeus (Martian crater)
Viking Orbiter 1 mosaic | |
| Planet | Mars |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 45°53′S 157°36′W / 45.88°S 157.6°W |
| Quadrangle | Phaethontis |
| Diameter | 165.18 km (102.64 mi) |
| Eponym | Claudius Ptolemaeus, a Greco-Egyptian astronomer (c. AD 90-160) |
Ptolemaeus is a crater on Mars, found in the Phaethontis quadrangle. It measures approximately 165 kilometers in diameter and was named after Claudius Ptolemaeus (Ptolemy), the Greco-Egyptian astronomer (c. AD 90-160).
The Soviet probe Mars 3 is thought to have successfully landed in Ptolemaeus crater on 2 December 1971, but contact was lost seconds after landing due to a dust storm occurring at the time. On 11 April 2013, NASA announced that the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) may have imaged the Mars 3 lander hardware on the surface of Mars. The HiRISE camera on the MRO took images of what may be the parachute, retrorockets, heat shield and lander.