Belton Regio
Equatorial dark region on Pluto / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Belton Regio (formerly Cthulhu Macula or Cthulhu Regio[1][2]) is a prominent surface feature of the dwarf planet Pluto.[3] It is an elongated dark region along Pluto's equator, 2,990 km (1,860 mi) long and one of the darkest features on its surface.[4]
Quick Facts Feature type, Location ...
Feature type | Dark region |
---|---|
Location | Pluto |
Coordinates | 0°N 90°E |
Length | 3,000 km |
Width | 1,000 km |
Eponym | Michael J. Belton |
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After its discovery in 2015, the feature was provisionally named after the fictional deity Cthulhu from the works of H. P. Lovecraft and others, as it was most popular name in its category in an online poll conducted earlier that year. In 2023, an official name was adopted by the International Astronomical Union honoring astronomer Michael J. Belton.