Μια «πεταλούδα» στον Ερμή. Elliptical Crater on Mercury

Ο κρατήρας που μοιάζει με πεταλούδα - αν και θα μπορούσε κάποιος να πει ότι θυμίζει και αράχνη. This color image, taken on May 1, 2013 by the Wide Angle Camera (WAC) instrument aboard NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft orbiting Mercury, features Hovnatanian crater, named for Armenian painter Hakop Hovnatanian. The crater's elliptical shape and the bright rays' butterfly pattern indicate that a very oblique impact produced the crater. The brightness of the rays indicate that they are relatively young features on Mercury's surface. This image was acquired as a targeted high-resolution 11-color image set. Acquiring 11-color targets is a new campaign that began in March, 2013 and that utilizes all of the camera's 11 narrow-band color filters. Because of the large data volume involved, only features of special scientific interest are targeted for imaging in all 11 colors. The MESSENGER spacecraft is the first ever to orbit the planet Mercury, and the spacecraft's seven scientific instruments and radio science investigation are unraveling the history and evolution of the solar system's innermost planet. MESSENGER has acquired over 150,000 images and extensive other data sets, and is capable of continuing orbital operations until early 2015. Image Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington

Το διαστημικό σκάφος Messenger που βρίσκεται σε τροχιά γύρω από τον Ερμή και τον εξερευνά κατέγραψε εντυπωσιακές εικόνες από την επιφάνειά του. Η πιο εντυπωσιακή είναι αυτή που κατέγραψε με την κάμερα WAC πριν από 24 ώρες (1 Αυγούστου) από τον κρατήρα Hovnatanian. Ο κρατήρας διαθέτει γεωλογικά χαρακτηριστικά όπως μεγάλες ακτίνες που πιθανότατα δημιουργήθηκαν από την πτώση διαστημικών σωμάτων.

Eyes, Hakob Hovnatanyan (1806—1881) 

Η έντονη φωτεινότητα των ακτίνων είναι ένδειξη ότι δημιουργήθηκαν σχετικά πρόσφατα, γεγονός που σημαίνει ότι στην επιφάνεια του πλανήτη υπάρχουν νεαρής ηλικίας σχηματισμοί και δομές. Το ελλειπτικό σχήμα του κρατήρα και η φωτεινότητα των ακτίνων έκαναν τους επιστήμονες της NASA που είδαν τις εικόνες να δηλώσουν ότι τους θυμίζουν μια… πεταλούδα. 

E. D. Rotinova-Gurgenbekyan by Hakob Hovnatanyan (1840-1850)

Ο κρατήρας φέρει το όνομα του αρμένιου ζωγράφου Χάκομπ Χοβτανάνιαν.

Hakob Hovnatanyan was born in 1806 into the Hovnatanyan family of painters that included five generations of artists from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Hakob was a representative of the last generation of the Hovnatanyan painter, learning the arts from his father (an icon painter). The family descended from Shorot village, in Nakhichevan (old Armenia). Hakob himself was born in the old Tiflis but was forced to move to Iran where he stayed till his death in 1881. More than fifty of the artist’s portraits painted from the late 1820′s and the early 30′s down to the 70′s, have been preserved. Hakob Hovnatanian achieved an accomplished technique as a portraitist in the 40′s and particularly the 50′s.The artist had acquired widespread fame but rather short-lived success with clients among the Tiflis bourgeoisie. Hakob Hovnatanyan’s artwork was well forgotten after he died. Only when Armenia became a more established state did his canvases start showing up in the collections of the State Art Gallery of Armenia in Yerevan and the Fine Arts Museum of Georgia. Hakob Hovnatanyan’s work is profoundly national and at the same time has its individual profile. inspired by his work the critically acclaimed Armenian art film director (Sergei Parajanov) made a short film based on his work entitled Hakob Hovnatanyan.