Victa (crater)
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 Victa, as imaged by Dawn on 19 December 2015 | |
| Feature type | Central-peak impact crater |
|---|---|
| Location | Ceres |
| Coordinates | 36°14′N 58°58′W / 36.23°N 58.96°W[1] |
| Diameter | 32 km[2]: 163 |
| Discoverer | Dawn |
| Eponym | Victa |
Victa is an impact crater on Ceres, a dwarf planet in the asteroid belt. It is roughly 32 kilometres (20 mi) in diameter, nearly the same size as the neighboring crater Abellio to its west.[2]: 163 It was named after Victa, the Roman goddess of food and nourishment. Its name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) on 21 September 2015.[1]
Victa is located in the central region of the Fejokoo quadrangle. The region lies 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) below the average elevation of Ceres, and it represents the northernmost extension of a vast depression that dominates the Rongo quadrangle.[3]: 68 Victa and Abellio share compositional and structural similarities; Victa has a steep crater wall, with ridges and terraces on its crater floor and signs of mass wasting processes.[2]: 163 A small depression interrupts its southern rim, likely the remnants of a pre-existing impact crater. Compared to Abellio, Victa's crater floor is flatter since it formed entirely within the topographic depression, and its concentric terraces are much more irregularly spaced.[3]: 73 Both craters are ancient and have darker surfaces compared to the rest of the Fejokoo quadrangle,[2]: 163 though Victa is slightly brighter than Abellio.[3]: 73 Victa's surface spectrum suggests that its ground composition is similar to the average global composition of Ceres, though it is slightly depleted in hydroxide-bearing phyllosilicate minerals.[2]: 163