India Adds 7 New Names to the Martian Map

• 29 Nov 2025

Source: TH 

Why in News?

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has approved 7 new Indian names proposed by Kerala-based researchers for Martian geological features, including a 3.5-billion-year-old crater named after geologist M. S. Krishnan, along with nearby landforms named after Kerala locations such as Valiamala, Thumba, Bekal, Varkala, and Periyar.

Which Martian Landforms have been Named After Indian Places and Personalities?

• Periyar Vallis: A Martian valley named after Kerala’s longest river, Periyar, which flows from the Western Ghats to the Arabian Sea. 
• Varkala Crater: Named after Varkala beach, known for its geologically unique cliffs rich in jarosite, a mineral also detected on Mars, making it an important Martian analogue site. 
• Bekal Crater: Named after the historic Bekal Fort in Kasaragod, a 17th-century coastal stronghold overlooking the Arabian Sea. 
  • The Bekal fort was in the hands of the Keladi Nayaka dynasty, Hyder Ali of Mysore and then the British. 
• Thumba Crater: Named after Thumba, the birthplace of India’s space programme and site of the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Centre (1962), where Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) began its early launches. 
• Valiamala Crater: Named after Valiamala, home to the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), India’s premier institution for space education and research. 
• Krishnan Crater: Named in honour of M. S. Krishnan, India’s pioneering geologist and first Indian Director of the Geological Survey of India.  
  • The crater, located in the Xanthe Terra region of Mars, is estimated to be about 3.5 billion years old. It is scientifically significant for preserving evidence of ancient glacial and fluvial activity. 
• Krishnan Planus: A plain located southeast of the Krishnan Crater, also named in honour of M. S. Krishnan and geologically linked to the larger crater.

Note: In 2024, three names proposed by the Ahmedabad-based Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) were approved by the IAU, including Lal Crater named after geophysicist Devendra Lal, and two smaller craters Mursan and Hilsa named after towns in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, respectively. 

• Apart from these, Mars also has features named after the Ganga, though it was not proposed by India.

How are Martian Surface Features Named, and What Guidelines Govern the Process? 

• Naming Proposal:  The International Astronomical Union invites naming proposals from scientists, institutions, and mission teams, requiring details such as the name’s origin, images, coordinates, feature type, and scientific significance.  
  • Each proposal must include a brief justification for why the feature deserves the name. 
• Guidelines for Naming Martian Features:   
  • Large craters (>50 km): Named after deceased scientists with foundational contributions. 
  • Smaller craters (<100,000 population towns): Named after small towns/villages worldwide. 
  • Names must be: Culturally or historically relevant,  easy to pronounce, non-offensive, unique with no duplicates and  non-political. 
• IAU: The International Astronomical Union (IAU), headquartered in Paris, is the global authority for naming celestial bodies and planetary features, promoting astronomy through research, education, and standardised nomenclature.  
  • The naming decisions are handled by its Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN). 

What are the Key Facts Related to Mars?  

• About: Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and has a thin, cold, dusty atmosphere. It is known as the Red Planet due to iron-rich dust that oxidises and gives the surface a reddish colour. 
  • The radius of Mars is about half the size of Earth. 
  • A Martian solar day lasts 24.6 hours and a Martian year lasts 687 Earth days. 
• Moons: Mars  has two moons, Phobos and Deimos. Mars has no rings, but could develop one if Phobos disintegrates. 
• Surface:  It is home to Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system, and Valles Marineris, the largest canyon. 
  • The atmosphere is mainly composed of CO₂ (95%), with nitrogen and argon. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

Q. What is the IAU and who approves planetary feature names?
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is the global authority for astronomical nomenclature; names are finalised by its Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN) and published in the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature.

Q. Why was the Krishnan Crater named after M. S. Krishnan? 
Large, significant craters (>50 km) are named for deceased scientists with foundational contributions; Krishnan Crater (≈77 km) honours geologist M. S. Krishnan for his pioneering work.

Q. What criteria govern naming small Martian craters after towns? 
Small craters may be named after towns/villages (population ≲100,000); names must be non-political, easy to pronounce, culturally meaningful, non-offensive and unique.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Q. Consider the following statements: (2016)

The Mangalyaan launched by ISRO 

1. is also called the Mars Orbiter Mission. 
2. made India the second country to have a spacecraft orbit the Mars after USA 
3. made India the only country to be successful in making its spacecraft orbit Mars in its very first attempt. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 

(a) 1 only  
(b) 2 and 3 only  
(c) 1 and 3 only  
(d) 1, 2 and 3 

Ans: c