Thiruvanantpuram: The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has recently designated several Martian geological features with Indian names, including Kerala’s Periyar River, Bekal Fort, Varkala Beach, and the towns of Thumba and Valiamala.

In total, seven Indian names are included in the latest list approved by the IAU’s Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature. Two of these honour the renowned geologist M.S. Krishnan, who became the first Indian director of the Geological Survey of India in 1951.

The Krishnan Crater, spanning 77 km in diameter, is estimated to be more than 3 billion years old, while a nearby plain, about 50 km wide, has been named Krishnan Palus.

As per IAU naming conventions, large Martian craters measuring 50 km or more are named after prominent scientists, whereas smaller craters are named after towns and villages globally with populations below 100,000.

The proposal to assign these Indian names to Martian features was submitted by Asif Iqbal Kakkassery, formerly a research scholar at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) and now an Assistant Professor in Geology at Government College, Kasaragod, along with Rajesh V.J. from IIST’s Department of Earth and Space Sciences.

Martian landmarks now bearing Kerala names include:

  • Krishnan Crater: 70 km wide, highlighting signs of past water and ice
  • Krishnan Palus: A plain near the crater
  • Periyar Vallis: Valley named after Kerala’s longest river

Smaller craters: Valiamala (IIST’s home), Thumba (ISRO’s launch site in the 1960s), Varkala (geologically unique cliffs), and Bekal (historic fort)