Misty Montes

Misty Montes on Cassini radar image

The Misty Montes are a range of mountains on Titan, the largest moon of the planet Saturn. The range is located in the northern hemisphere of Titan, between 56–7° north and 61–3° west.[1]

The Misty Montes are named after the Misty Mountains, a range of mountains in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle Earth which appears most prominently in The Hobbit.[1] The name follows a convention that Titanean mountains are named after mountains in Tolkien's work.[2] It was formally announced on November 13, 2012.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b International Astronomical Union. "Misty Montes". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Accessed Nov 14, 2012.
  2. ^ International Astronomical Union. "Categories for Naming Features on Planets and Satellites". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. Accessed Nov 14, 2012.
  3. ^ Jennifer Blue, "Eight New Names for Titan Surface Features" Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine. USGS Astrologeology Science Center. Nov 13, 2012.