Cerberus Fossae

Image of the Day explores the nomenclature of Mars. Cerberus Fossae = Fossae: long, narrow, shallow depressions. Cerberus: The three-headed watchdog that guarded the entrance to Hades. Cerberus was the child of a giant and a half-woman/half-snake. Cerberus Fossae is comprised of two east/west oriented linear depressions. One of these depressions is shown in this VIS image. The region surrounding the depression is mainly volcanic in nature. Nomenclature Fact of the Day: Since the planet Venus is named for the Roman goddess of love, its features are named with female names. Large craters are named for famous women, small craters are named with female first names, and other features are named for mythological goddesses of many cultures.