Wed Nov 26 09:35:40 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:

Headline: Martian Crater Named After Indian Geologist; Kerala Place Names Embossed on Red Planet

Thiruvananthapuram, India – November 26, 2025 – In a landmark achievement for Indian science, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has officially named a 3.5-billion-year-old crater on Mars “Krishnan,” after the pioneering Indian geologist M.S. Krishnan. The announcement follows a proposal by two researchers from Kerala, India.

In addition to the primary crater, several smaller features within and around “Krishnan” crater will bear names with ties to Kerala. The IAU has approved names such as “Valiamala,” “Thumba,” “Bekal,” “Varkala,” and “Periyar” for smaller craters and a valley (vallis) in the area. This marks the first time place names from Kerala have been adopted for Martian landforms.

The successful naming proposal was a collaborative effort by Asif Iqbal Kakkassery, formerly a research scholar at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) and currently Assistant Professor in Geology at Government College, Kasaragod, and Rajesh V.J. of the Department of Earth and Space Sciences, IIST.

M.S. Krishnan, born in 1898, was a leading figure in Indian geology and the first Indian director of the Geological Society of India. The other names were chosen for their significance to Kerala:

  • Valiamala: Home to the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST).
  • Thumba: The birthplace of the Indian space program.
  • Varkala: Known for its unique geological cliff formations and considered a potential Martian analogue site.
  • Bekal: Location of the historic Bekal Fort in the Kasaragod district.
  • Periyar: Kerala’s longest river, now immortalized as “Periyar Vallis,” a channel cutting across the Krishnan Palus (plain inside the Krishnan Crater).

The research leading to the naming proposal involved identifying signs of ancient glacial processes and fluvial activity on the Martian crater in the Xanthe Terra region. The findings have been published in the journal Meteoritics & Planetary Science.

The IAU’s naming guidelines allow for large Martian craters to be named after deceased scientists who have made significant contributions to planetary science. Smaller features can be named after towns or villages with historical and cultural relevance, with populations under 100,000.

The researchers spent six years working on the project. It was initially met with some rejections due to pronunciation and compliance issues with IAU naming conventions. Ultimately, persistent documentation and review led to the approval of the Kerala-related names, cementing India’s place in the ongoing exploration of the Red Planet.

Read More