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Map-a-Planet: Feature Search
Map-A-Planet's Feature Search uses the official feature names in the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature to locate a Map-a-Planet image that shows that feature. Only official feature names approved by the International Astronomical Union are used for this search capability.
Searching for Named Features
To search for an image of a particular feature, type all or part of the feature name into the search box and click the Search button. For each matching feature, the feature name, feature type, and the planetary body the feature is found on will be listed. Click the feature name to view an image of the feature in Map-a-Planet Explorer. Try searching for "Olympus Mons" using the Feature Search box below:
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- Wild Card (*): Use an asterisk as a wildcard to match any characters. For example, searching for "Vall*s" will match both Abus Vallis and Athabasca Valles.
- Letters with Diacritical Marks: When searching for names containing letters with diacritial marks (such as é), you may either used unmarked or marked letters. For example, searching for Poincare will return Poincaré.
- Image Map: The feature name is linked to an image map displayed in Explorer with the center of the feature in the center of the image. The default data set for the body is used.
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Feature Information:
Click the Feature Information button (blue button with the white 'i')
next to each feature name in the results to view
detailed information about the feature.
- Body-Specific Feature Searches: The Feature Search boxes on the Explore pages (for example, Explore Mars) will search for features on just that particular planet or satellite.
- General Feature Search: The Feature Search box on the Map-a-Planet home page will search for matching features on any planet or satellite Map-a-Planet serves.
Relate Features
The Features in this Area button in Explorer Navigation Toolbar will pop up a window listing all the named features in the current image found in the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. For more information, read the Explorer help page.