Promethei Terra

THEMIS Image of the Day explores Mars nomenclature. A Flash-based interactive viewer is available for this image.
Promethei Terra = Terra: extensive land mass. Promethei: Prometheus was the Titan that stole fire from Zeus and gave it to man. For this crime, Prometheus was chained to a rock and an eagle ate his liver anew everyday.
Promethei Terra is part of the southern highlands of Mars. This daytime IR mosaic shows the cratered terrain that is typical of this region.
Nomenclature Fact of the Day: Large craters on Mars are named for scientists who have contributed to the study of Mars, and writers and others who have contributed to the lore of Mars. (As an example: the large crater at the bottom of this image is Redi Crater, named for Francesco Redi, an Italian physicist.)