Balanchine (Mercury)

Named after George (Giorgi Balanchivadze) Balanchine - American choreographer of Georgian-Russian origin (1904-1983).

Balanchine is a crater on the planet Mercury. It contains blue colored rays that radiate from the center of the crater. These rays inspired the name of the crater due to their similarity to the tutu in George Balanchine's Serenade. (wikipedia entry)

A crater is a circular depression likely created by an impact event. On Mercury they are named after deceased artists, musicians, painters, and authors who have made outstanding or fundamental contributions to their field and have been recognized as art historically significant figures for more than 50 years.