Nix Olympica
Translingual
Etymology
From Latin nix (“snow”) and olympicus (“Olympic”), meaning "Olympic Snow, Snow of Olympus", from the feature appearing whitish against the generally reddish planet. Coined in 1879 by Giovanni Schiaparelli, the astronomer who first observed the surface feature, in the 19th century.
Proper noun
Nix Olympica
- (astronomy, geography, historical) Former name of Olympus Mons. (19th c. — 20th c.) (An albedo feature on the planet Mars, now known to be the tallest mountain, but without a snowcap.)
- 2011 (e-book) / 1978 (print), Perry Rhodan Nr. 881: Erbe des Tba (e-book version without page numbers)
- Der größte Krater war der Nix Olympica: viermal so hoch wie der Kilimandscharo, hatte er einen Durchmesser von achthundert Kilometern.
- 1984, Wolfgang Engelhardt, Planeten Monde Ringsysteme: Kamerasonden erforschen unser Sonnensystem, p. 129:
- Der Riesenvulkan Nix Olympica auf Mars wurde erst von Mariner 9 als solcher erkannt. [...] Das auf dem Ausschnitt gekennzeichnete Telebild zeigt einen Teil des sehr rauhen Abhangs von Nix Olympica, hier ist ein Gebiet von 43 × 55 km erfaßt.
- 2004, Jeffrey S. Kargel, Mars - A Warmer, Wetter Planet, p. 48:
- [...] Nix Olympica had been known to Earth-bound astronomers since Schiaparelli in 1879. [...] The improved coverage of Nix Olympica by Mariner 7 showed a concentric ring-like surface structure. By the time Mariner 9 approached Mars, Nix Olympica had already been reinterpreted as a gigantic impact crater [...]
- 2011 (e-book) / 1978 (print), Perry Rhodan Nr. 881: Erbe des Tba (e-book version without page numbers)