What is the naming convention for craters on Mercury? The two largest craters on Mercury are names Caloris (meaning &quot;hot&quot;) and Rembrandt (for the painter). So there doesn't seem to be a pattern.
By convention, craters on Mars are named for people who studied the planet (like Cassini) or wrote about it (like Bradbury).
Is there a similar naming convention for the craters at the surface of Mercury?
A quick search returns that wikipedia has an extensive list how different things are named on various celestial bodies.
For Mercury's craters it quotes &quot;Famous deceased artists, musicians, painters, authors&quot;. As source of its wisdom it gives the IAU working group on planetary system nomenclature as authoritive source for them - the source which decides on official naming.