User:The Singing Badger/List of albedo features on Mars
This is a list of named albedo features on Mars. These features were originally named by earthbound astronomers and refer to colour differences visible from Earth. The names come from Classical myths and literature.
After these names were created, space probes revealed the geological nature of these features. In general, the old names have been retained, but have often been changed slightly to reflect new knowledge of their nature (for example Nix Olympica became Olympus Mons. Some names are no longer used officially.
In addition many other features on Mars have been given names based on the albedo feature in which they are located; for example the canyon Candor Chasma is named after the albedo feature of Candor, in which it is located.
| Albedo feature | Corresponds to | Source of name |
| Aeolis | Aeolis Mensae | Aeolis, mythological island |
| Aeria | 'Far land of mist', Greek name for Egypt | |
| Aetheria | Aetheria, Greek name for the land of the living | |
| Aethiopis | Greek name for Ethiopia | |
| Amazonis | Amazonis Planitia | Amazonis, mythological land of the Amazons. |
| Amenthes | Amenthes Planum | Amenthes, the Egyptian underworld |
| Aonium Sinus | Aonia Terra | 'Bay of the Muses' (the Aonides is an alternate name for the Muses in Grek mythology |
| Arabia | Arabia Terra | Arabia Deserta, the Roman name for the desert interior of the Arabian Peninsula |
| Arcadia | Arcadia Planitia | Arcadia, region of Greece |
| Argyre | Argyre Planitia | Silver; Greek name for Arakan, mythical silver island in Burma |
| Arnon | Classical name for Wadi al-Mawjib river, Jordan | |
| Aurorae Sinus | Aurorae Planum | 'Bay of the Dawn'; from Aurora, Roman dawn goddess |
| Ausonia | Ausonia, country of the Ausones (Greek), or Aurunci (Latin) | |
| Baltia | Baltia, Roman name for a legendary northern island | |
| Boreosyrtis | North of Syrtis (see below) | |
| Candor | Candor Chasma | Latin for 'blaze' or 'white' |
| Casius | An epithet for the Greek god Zeus | |
| Cebrenia | Cebrenia, main country of the Trojan plain | |
| Cecropia | Old name for Athens | |
| Ceraunis | Greek, 'thunderclap'; named for Ceraunis Mountains, Epirus, Greece | |
| Cerberus | Cerberus Fossae | Cerberus, guardian of hell in Greek mythology |
| Chalce | Chalki, Greek island | |
| Chersonesus | Thracian Chersonese, Greek name for Gallipoli | |
| Chryse | Chryse Planitia | Greek for gold; named for Chryse, a legendary island in the East Indies |
| Chrysokeras | Ancient Greek name for the Golden Horn, Istanbul | |
| Claritas | Claritas Fossae | Latin for 'bright' |
| Copais Palus | Marsh north of Mount Helicon, Greece | |
| Coprates | Coprates Chasma | Greek name for river Ab-i-daz, Persia |
| Cyclopia | Land of the cyclops in Greek mythology | |
| Cydonia | Cydonia Mensae / Cydonia Labyrinthus | Poetic Greek name for Crete |
| Deltoton Sinus | 'Bay of the Triangle' (it forms a triangle with two other features) | |
| Depressio Hellespontica | A depression near the Hellespont feature (see below) | |
| Deucalionis Regio | 'Deucalion's Region'; named after the mythological Greek king | |
| Deuteronilus | Deuteronilus Mensae | 'Second Part of Nilus' (part of the supposed Martian canal labelled 'Nile') |
| Diacria | Diacria, highland region of Greece | |
| Dioscuria | 'Land of the Dioscuri', symbolic name for Sparta | |
| Edom | Edom, Biblical country | |
| Electris | Island home of Electra in Greek mythology | |
| Elysium | Elysium Mons | Elysium, heaven in Greek mythology |
| Eridania | Eridania Scopulus | Classical name for region on the Po River, Italy |
| Eunostes | Part of the Greek underworld | |
| Euphrates | River Euphrates, Mesopotamia | |
| Gehon | River Gihon, Biblical river | |
| Hellas | Hellas Planitia | Greek name for Greece |
| Hellespontus | Hellespontus Montes | The Hellespont, ancient name for the Dardanelles |
| Hesperia | Hesperia Planum | Classical word for the West |
| Hiddekel | Biblical name for the Tigris river | |
| Hyperboreus Lacus | Hyperboreae Undae | Latin, 'Far Northern Lake' |
| Iapygia | Classical name for Apulia, or specifically Salento | |
| Icaria | Icaria Fossae | Land of Icarus, a name for Crete |
| Thyle I and II | Thyles Rupes | Thule, legendary northern land |
| Ismenius Lacus | 'Ismenian Lake' - Ismenia is a poetic name for Thebes | |
| Jamuna | Jamuna River, India | |
| Juventae Fons | Juventae Chasma | 'The Fountain of Youth', legendary magical place |
| Laestrygon | The Laestrygonians, legendary cannibal giants | |
| Lemuria | Lemuria, legendary drowned continent south of India | |
| Libya | Libya, ancient region of North Africa | |
| Lunae Palus | 'Swamp of the Moon', referring to Luna the Roman Moon goddess or to the Mountains of the Moon, Africa | |
| Mare Acidalium | 'Acidalian Sea'; from the Acidalian Fountain where Aphrodite bathed | |
| Mare Australe | 'Southern Sea' | |
| Mare Boreum | 'Northern Sea' | |
| Mare Chronium | Cronian Sea, Greek name for the polar sea | |
| Mare Cimmerium | 'Cimmerian Sea'; from the Cimmerians of Greek legend | |
| Mare Erythraeum | Roman name for the Indian Ocean | |
| Mare Hadriacum | Roman name for the Adriatic Sea | |
| Mare Serpentis | 'Serpens Sea', referring to the constellation Serpens | |
| Mare Sirenum | 'Sea of the Sirens', referring to the legendary monsters | |
| Mare Tyrrhenum | Tyrrhenian Sea | |
| Margaritifer Terra | 'Pearl Bay', named after the Pearl Coast, India | |
| Memnonia | Land of Memnon, Ethopiopian king | |
| Meroe | Meroë, island-city in the Nile | |
| Moab | Moab, Biblical land | |
| Moeris Lacus | Lake Moeris, Al-Fayyum, Egypt | |
| Nectar | Nectar, the food of the gods | |
| Neith Regio | 'Neith Region', named after Neith, the Egyptian underworld | |
| Nepenthes | Nepenthe, Egyptian drug | |
| Nereidum Fretum | 'Straits of the Nereids' | |
| Niliacus Lacus | 'Lake of the Nile' | |
| Nilokeras | 'Horn of the Nile' (part of the supposed Martian canal labelled 'Nile') | |
| Nilosyrtis | Part of the supposed Martian canal labelled 'Nile' close to the Syrtis region (see below) | |
| Nix Olympica | 'The Snows of Olympus', referring to Mount Olympus, Greece | |
| Noachis | 'Noah's Land' | |
| Ogygis Regio | 'Region of Ogygos' (Theban king) | |
| Olympia | Olympia, Greek city | |
| Ophir | Ophir, Biblical land | |
| Ortygia | Ortygia, legendary Greek island | |
| Oxia Palus | 'Swamp of the Oxus River' - Greek name for Aral Sea | |
| Oxus | Greek name for Amu Darya river | |
| Panchaia | Panchaia, Greek name for Egyptian city and for legendary island | |
| Pandorae Fretum | 'Pandora's Strait', named after mythological Pandora | |
| Phaethontis | 'Phaeton's Land', named after mythological Phaeton | |
| Phison | Pishon, Biblical river | |
| Phlegra | Phlegra, Greek mythological location | |
| Phoenicus Lacus | 'Lake of the Phoenix' | |
| Phrixi Region | 'Phrixus's Region'; named after mythological Phrixus | |
| Promethei Sinus | 'Prometheus's Bay'; named after mythological Prometheus | |
| Propontis | Greek name for the Sea of Marmara | |
| Protei Regio | 'Proteus's Region'; named after mythological Proteus | |
| Protonilus | 'First Part of the Nile' (part of the supposed Martian canal labelled 'Nile') | |
| Pyrrhae Regio | 'Pyrrha's Region'; named after mythological Pyrrha | |
| Scandia | Scandinavia | |
| Sinai | Sinai pensinsula | |
| Sinus Meridiani | 'Middle Bay' | |
| Sinus Sabaeus | 'Bay of Saba', ancient term for the Red Sea | |
| Sithonius Lacus | 'Lake of the Sithonii', or Thracians | |
| Solid Lacus | 'Lake of the Sun' | |
| Styx | Styx, the river of the Greek underworld | |
| Syria | Syria, region of the Near East in classical times | |
| Syrtis Major | 'Gulf of Sirte' or Libyan Gulf | |
| Tanais | Tanais, ancient name for the Don River, Russia | |
| Tempe | Vale of Tempe, Thessaly, Greece | |
| Tharsis | Tartessos, ancient Spanish town | |
| Thaumasia | Thaumas, Greek sea god | |
| Thoth | Thoth, Egyptian god | |
| Thymiamata | 'Land of Perfumes'; from Thymiamata, Greek name for legendary Asian country | |
| Tithonius Lacus | 'Tithonian Lake', from the mythological Tithonus | |
| Tractus Albus | 'White Tract' | |
| Trinacria | Classical name for Sicily | |
| Trivium Charontis | 'Crossroad of Charon', canal intersection in the Greek underworld | |
| Uchronia | 'Land of Agelessness' | |
| Umbra | Latin for 'shadow' | |
| Utopia | From utopia, Greek for 'nowhere', or for a perfect state | |
| Vulcani Pelagus | Vulcan, Roman god of fire | |
| Xanthe | 'Golden-Yellow Land' | |
| Yaonis Regio | 'Yao's Region'; named after Emperor Yao of China | |
| Zephyria | 'Land of the West Wind'; from the Greek god Zephyr | |
| Zumba | Zumba, town in Ecuador |