Galdakao arrives to Mars

2003/02/05 Elhuyar Zientzia

• Astronomia

The International Astronomical Association has given the name of Galdakao to a crater of Mars. The largest craters on Mars have received names from important astronomers and scientists, but the smallest are given names of villages with less than 10,000 inhabitants.

In 1997, the professor of the UPV, Xabier Orue-Etxeberria, requested the inscription of one of these craters in his village and, five years later, has fulfilled his dream. The Galdakao crater is located in the southern hemisphere of Mars and has a diameter of 35 kilometers.

Perhaps the coming year will reappear in the Galdakao newspapers, because, as Xabier Orue-Etxeberria has pointed out, it is next to one of four possible departure points of the vehicles that would be sent to Mars this year, next to the great crater Gusev.

Around this curiosity the City Council of Galdakao wanted to spread some science and has organized a talk about Mars on Saturday 8. The talk will be given by geologist Francisco Anguita, an expert on Mars, at 12 noon at the Casa de Cultura Torrezabal.