# Ushas Mons

**Ushas Mons** is a large volcano, of the feature type Mons, montes, on the planet Venus, centered at 24.30°S, 324.60°E and measuring 413.00 km across.<sup>[1](https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/6248)</sup> The name, adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1982, honors [Ushas](https://www.edgepedia.org/ushas), the Indian goddess of dawn, following the convention by which Venusian mountains are named after goddesses of various mythologies.<sup>[1](https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/6248)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Target and type | Venus; feature type Mons, montes (Feature ID 6248)<sup>[1](https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/6248)</sup> |
| Diameter | 413.00 km<sup>[1](https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/6248)</sup> |
| Center coordinates | 24.30°S, 324.60°E (planetocentric, +East, 0–360)<sup>[1](https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/6248)</sup> |
| Latitude extent | 23.80°S to 25.20°S; longitude extent 323.10°E to 327.10°E<sup>[1](https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/6248)</sup> |
| Name origin | Ushas, Indian goddess of dawn; ethnicity India, continent Asia<sup>[1](https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/6248)</sup> |
| IAU approval | Adopted 1982; reference is a letter from G. H. Pettengill to the Venus Task Group, April 27, 1977<sup>[1](https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/6248)</sup> |
| Map quadrangle | V-42<sup>[1](https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/6248)</sup> |

## Location and designation

The feature lies in the southern hemisphere of Venus, with its boundaries spanning 323.10°E to 327.10°E in longitude and 23.80°S to 25.20°S in latitude in the planetocentric, +East coordinate system.<sup>[1](https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/6248)</sup> It falls within Venus quadrangle V-42, one of the map sheets for which the USGS Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature provides 1:5 million-scale Magellan radar imagery and 1:10 million-scale color altimetry.<sup>[1](https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/6248)</sup> The gazetteer notes that the mapped boundaries are approximate and intended only to portray the locations of named features and their rough extents.<sup>[1](https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/6248)</sup>

## Naming

The name was approved by the IAU in 1982, and the recorded reference for the proposal is a letter from G. H. Pettengill to the Venus Task Group dated April 27, 1977.<sup>[1](https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/6248)</sup> Gordon H. Pettengill was a planetary radio astronomer whose radar work underpinned early Venus topography. Other examples approved in the same theme include [Api Mons](https://www.edgepedia.org/api-mons) (Scythian goddess of earth, 1985) and [Abeona Mons](https://www.edgepedia.org/abeona-mons) (Roman goddess of travelers, 1997).<sup>[2](https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/SearchResults?Feature+Type=27_Mons%2C+montes&Target=15_Venus)</sup>

## Volcanic character

Ushas Mons is treated as a large volcano in surveys of Venusian volcanism; a study of large volcanoes on Venus includes a synthetic aperture radar mosaic of the edifice among its figures.<sup>[3](https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10097440/1/A_study_of_large_volcanoes_and.pdf)</sup> Radar imagery from NASA's Magellan spacecraft, which orbited Venus from 1990 to 1994, is the primary data source for studying the planet's surface, since dense clouds block direct viewing.<sup>[4](https://www.space.com/astronomy/venus/venus-may-have-an-underground-tunnel-carved-by-volcano-eruptions)</sup>

A survey of radar-bright, diffuse-margined deposits on Venus, interpreted as possible pyroclastic mantles from plume-collapse eruptions, identified a new occurrence associated with a ridge belt south of Ushas Mons.<sup>[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6839737/)</sup> Such deposits consist of fragmental material a few centimeters or larger that traveled downhill up to about 100 km on modest slopes and blanketed older lava flows and tectonic features to depths of tens of centimeters to a few meters over areas up to 40×10<sup>3</sup> km<sup>2</sup>.<sup>[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6839737/)</sup> The authors propose that these deposits mark the early stage of renewed magmatic activity, in which volatile-rich, disrupted magma escapes through vents in fractured upper crust.<sup>[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6839737/)</sup>

**Infrared contrast.** Ushas Mons differs from some other large Venusian volcanoes in its thermal-emission signature: work based on Venus Express VIRTIS data found enhanced 1.02-µm emissivity, interpreted as evidence for geologically recent eruptions, at [Dione Regio](https://www.edgepedia.org/dione-regio) volcanoes such as Hathor and Innini Montes, whereas Ushas Mons has neither enhanced 1.02-µm emissivity nor radar-bright summit material.<sup>[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6839737/)</sup> The study suggested that radar-bright terrain may play a role in creating such infrared emissivity anomalies.<sup>[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6839737/)</sup>

## References

1. [Ushas Mons, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, USGS Astrogeology Science Center](https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/6248)
2. [Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature search results, Mons, montes on Venus, USGS](https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/SearchResults?Feature+Type=27_Mons%2C+montes&Target=15_Venus)
3. [A Study of Large Volcanoes and their Morphology, University College London](https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10097440/1/A_study_of_large_volcanoes_and.pdf)
4. [Venus may have an underground tunnel carved by volcano eruptions, Space.com](https://www.space.com/astronomy/venus/venus-may-have-an-underground-tunnel-carved-by-volcano-eruptions)
5. [Campbell, B. A., Morgan, G. A., Whitten, J. L., Carter, L. M., Glaze, L. S., and Campbell, D. B. (2017). Pyroclastic Flow Deposits on Venus as Indicators of Renewed Magmatic Activity. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 122(7), 1580–1596](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6839737/)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Places and geography › Extraterrestrial places › Planetary surfaces and named features › Venus surface features › Venus mountains and volcanic structures › Mountains and mons on Venus*

*Initially written Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026*

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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license