Huygens A (Moon)

Satellite Feature of Huygens

Named for Mons Huygens.

Huygens is an impact crater on Mars named in honour of the Dutch astronomer, mathematician and physicist Christiaan Huygens. The crater is approximately 456 km in diameter and can be found at 304.4°W 14.0°S, in the Iapygia quadrangle. Scientists were delighted to see branched channels in pictures taken with spacecraft that were sent in orbit around Mars. The existence of these channels is strong evidence that much water once flowed on the surface of the planet. (wikipedia entry)