 An image of Anubis crater, taken by Voyager 2 on 9 July 1979.[1] | |
| Feature type | Concentric Crater |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 84°26′S 128°40′W / 84.44°S 128.66°W / -84.44; -128.66 |
| Diameter | 114 kilometres (71 mi)[2] |
| Eponym | Anubis |
Anubis is a crater near the south pole of Jupiter's largest moon Ganymede.[3] It is a concentric crater with at least two crater rims, with the smaller rim being completely inside the bigger one. The crater's outer rim is approximately 114 kilometres (71 mi) wide.[2]
Naming
Anubis is named after the Egyptian god Anubis, the jackal-headed god of the dead, mummification and funerals.[4] The name was approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1988.[2]
The crater's name follows the IAU's convention of naming geological features and craters on Ganymede after deities, heroes and places from Ancient Middle Eastern mythologies—which includes Egyptian mythology.[5] Many nearby surface features such as Isis and Osiris all share the same Egyptian mythology theme.[6]
Geography
Anubis is located within a grooved region called Bubastis Sulci.[7] The crater is within the Hathor quadrangle (designated Jg15) of Ganymede which encompasses the entire region around the moon's south pole.[8]
Oftentimes, sunlight cannot reach the deepest regions of the crater (like its center), and these areas are plunged in constant darkness for long periods of time because of the low tilt of Ganymede's axis and orbit relative to the Sun.
Exploration
Anubis is located close to Ganymede's south pole, which makes it relatively difficult to observe when using probes that are only performing a flyby along Jupiter's equator and the ecliptic plane. The low axial tilt of Jupiter and (3.1°)[9] and, consequently, the similarly low tilt of Ganymede’s axis and orbit, which are closely aligned with its parent planet’s equator—prevents spacecraft that are traveling along the ecliptic plane from obtaining clear views of Anubis.
Voyager 2 became the first spacecraft to explore Anubis in July 1979. The probe's slightly southward approach towards Jupiter allowed it to view the crater and the surrounding area of Bubastis Sulci. However, Anubis's position near the south pole means most of it was always in darkness.
As of 2025, there are no high-resolution images of Anubis.
Future missions
Because of the difficulties caused by Anubis’s position near the south pole, orbiter spacecraft are the most effective means to study study the crater.
The European Space Agency's (ESA) Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) orbiter is scheduled to arrive at Jupiter in July 2031.[10] After spending around three and a half years in orbit around Jupiter and performing multiple flybys of Europa, Callisto and Ganymede, Juice will settle into a low polar orbit around Ganymede,[11] allowing the probe to get better images of Anubis as it periodically passes over Ganymede's south pole.
See also
References
- ^ "OPUS3". SETI. 2025. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
- ^ a b c "GANYMEDE – Anubis". USGS. 2015. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
- ^ "Controlled Color Photomosaic Map of Ganymede" (PDF). USGS. 2003. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
- ^ "Anubis, Egyptian god". Britannica. 2025. Retrieved 2025-12-16.
- ^ "Categories (Themes) for Naming Features on Planets and Satellites". USGS. 2025. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
- ^ "Ganymede Crater search". USGS. 2015. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
- ^ "GANYMEDE – Bubastis Sulci". USGS. 2016. Retrieved 2025-12-22.
- ^ Ganymede Map Images Archived 2007-11-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Interplanetary Seasons". Science@NASA. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
- ^ "Juice Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer". ESA. 2023. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
- ^ "Juice's journey and Jupiter system tour". ESA. 2022. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
