- The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has officially approved the name Krishnan Crater — a 3.5-billion-year-old crater on Mars — after the pioneering Indian geologist M. S. Krishnan.
- The crater is located in the region of Xanthe Terra on Mars and spans about 77 kilometers in diameter.
- Along with the main crater, a nearby plain has been named Krishnan Palus, cementing Krishnan’s legacy on Martian maps.
Why this naming matters
- M. S. Krishnan was the first Indian to serve as Director of the Geological Survey of India (GSI), and played a foundational role in shaping geology and mineral research in independent India.
- The naming follows IAU’s conventions: large craters (≥ 50 km) are named after eminent scientists, while smaller features can be named after towns, rivers, or culturally significant places.
- This marks a rare and significant global honour — a permanent Martian landmark now carries the name of an Indian geoscientist, linking Earth’s geological heritage with interplanetary geography.
Associated Indian-themed Martian Features
- Beyond Krishnan Crater and Krishnan Palus, the IAU has also approved several names inspired by places in Kerala for nearby Martian landforms:
| Martian Feature | Earth Name / Reference | Feature Type |
| Valiamala Crater | Valiamala (home of IIST, Kerala) | Small crater |
| Varkala Crater | Varkala (coastal town/beach, Kerala) | Small crater (inside Krishnan Crater) |
| Thumba Crater | Thumba (birthplace of Indian space-programme) | Small crater (SE of Krishnan Crater) |
| Bekal Crater | Bekal (historic fort town, Kerala) | Small crater (east of Krishnan Crater) |
| Periyar Vallis | Periyar River (Kerala’s longest river) | Vallis / Martian valley feature |
- This wave of naming collectively honours not just a scientist, but also places deeply linked with India’s geological and space-science heritage.
What happened And who proposed the names
- The proposal to name these Martian features was submitted by a team of Kerala-based researchers, including Asif Iqbal Kakkassery and Rajesh V. J., formerly of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST). ([The New Indian Express][6])
- Their research identified signs of ancient glacial and fluvial activity in the unnamed crater, supporting scientific interest — a key criterion for planetary naming.
