IAU Gazetteer of Planetary Feature Names from 1919 to Present

The International Astronomical Union's official record of named topographic and albedo features on planets, satellites, and some ring systems. This gazetteer contains detailed information for all IAU-approved names from its founding in 1919 through the present time. The dataset is maintained by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Use Cases

• Mapping planetary surface features based on IAU-approved nomenclature.
• Analyzing the distribution and types of named features across different celestial bodies.
• Validating or standardizing feature names in planetary science research and publications.
• Studying the history of planetary exploration and discovery through the timeline of approved names.

Strengths

• Official IAU-approved nomenclature, providing an authoritative standard.
• Covers all named features from the IAU's founding in 1919 to the present.
• Includes features on planets, satellites, and some planetary ring systems.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

International Astronomical Union (IAU), National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Likely compiled and maintained from IAU naming committee records and mission data.

Time Range

1919 to present

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 20:27:13.348617; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Solar system (planets, satellites, ring systems)