Erebor Mons is a
mountain on
Titan, the largest
moon of the planet
Saturn. It is located near Titan's
equator, between 4–5° south and 35–36° west, centered on 4°58′S36°14′W / 4.97°S 36.23°W / -4.97; -36.23,[1] in the western part of
Quivira region.[2] It is 40 km across, more than 1 km high, and has lobate flow features to its north and east. It is probably a
cryovolcano.[3] Erebor Mons is situated about 470 km to the north-northeast of a larger cryovolcanic construct,
Doom Mons.[3]
Erebor Mons is one of the highest known mountains of Titan, but it is not readily discernible on radar or infrared images. It was discovered only when stereoscopic radar data allowed the construction of an elevation map. It was imaged by
Cassini radar 22 February and 10 April 2007.[3]
Erebor Mons is named after
Erebor, the "Lonely Mountain" that appears in
J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of
Middle-earth, most prominently in The Hobbit.[1] The name follows a convention that Titanean Mountains are named after mountains in Tolkien's work.[4] The name was formally announced on November 13, 2012.[5]
References
^
ab"Erebor Mons". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN). 2012-11-13. Retrieved 2014-06-07.