Bashō (Mercury)

Named after Matsuo Bashō - Japanese poet (1644-1694).

Bashō crater is only 74.62 kilometers in diameter, but is a prominent feature on Mercury's surface, due to its bright rays. Photographs from NASA's Mariner 10 and MESSENGER spacecraft show an curious halo of dark material around the crater. (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.