In a remarkable nod to India’s expanding presence in global space exploration, seven Indian names — including several iconic Kerala landmarks — have been officially added to the Martian map.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) announced on November 24 that newly identified geological features on Mars will now carry names such as Periyar, Bekal, Varkala, Thumba, and Valiamala.
The naming marks a symbolic milestone for Kerala, giving some of its most recognisable natural and cultural sites a “second home” on the Red Planet. Periyar, the state’s longest river; Varkala, a globally known beach destination; and Bekal, home to Kerala’s largest fort, are among those immortalised in Martian nomenclature.
Two towns closely associated with India’s space programme — Thumba and Valiamala, both linked to ISRO — have also been included.
The honour extends further with the naming of a massive 77-km-wide, three-billion-year-old crater as Krishnan, after eminent geologist M.S. Krishnan, the first Indian to serve as Director of the Geological Survey of India in 1951. A neighbouring 50-km-wide plain has been named Krishnan Planum.
The IAU’s latest update includes seven Indian names in total, a number that highlights India’s growing scientific footprint.
More than 2,000 Martian features have been named so far, with around 50 already carrying Indian references.
According to IAU guidelines, major craters above 50 km are named after scientists, while smaller ones are named after towns and villages with populations under 100,000. “This category is simply a large source of crater names. No commemoration of specific towns or villages is intended,” the rules clarify.
The newly approved names were proposed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), who submitted detailed documentation as part of the global naming process. The IAU’s system requires applicants to provide the name’s origin, scientific rationale, coordinates, annotated images, and a description of the feature before the proposal is reviewed by committees and senior officials.