GEOSTATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE PLANETARY NOMENCLATURE DATABASE AS A METHOD OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL TERRITORY MENTAL EXPLORATION

K.B. Shingareva¹, I.P. Karachevtseva², E.V. Cherepanova³

1 - Moscow State University for Geodesy and Cartography, Moscow, Russia

2 - The Institute of Informatics Problems of Russian Academy of Sciences (IPI RAN)

3 - AEROCOSMOS, GIS, Moscow, Russia

lena_cherepanova@list.ru

Principles of Planetary Database Nomenclature analysis are proposed within the interdisciplinary research conducted on the joint of cartography, informatics, and cultural geography. Mental maps are widely used for spatial relations understanding in the cultural geography. Mental (lat. mentalis) adj. - of or relating to the knowledge skills and intellectual values of individual or general public. A set of mental maps have been made on the base of cartographical and geostatistical analysis. These maps show some peculiarities of the topographical features name process of the Solar system bodies. Initially (by International Astronomical Union – the IAU) there were developed a system for name of the large and remarkable features after eminent persons, cultural and academic personalities. Also they can be named after heroes of myths, tales, novels, plays, well-known Earth’s observatories, search ships, and topographical features. According to the rules of the IAU the names are given after cultural personalities on Mercury, after famous women on Venus, after science and technology personalities on the Moon and Mars. In this case mental maps could help to evaluate the subjectivity degree (extent) of mankind heritage presentation on the Solar system bodies during the feature’s name process. Recently compiled map of various ethnical groups’ representation can be a bright example of GIS technologies and geostatistical methods application. Mental maps approach of Planetary Nomenclature Database analysis let people to make as personal visual “exploration” of extraterrestrial territories, as community recommendations of the name selection of features which have been discovered recently or will have been discovered in the future during space missions to the Solar System bodies. The project has been made within Information System “Solar System Bodies” development.