Nix Olympica

Translingual

Etymology

From Latin nix (“snow”) and olympica (“Olympic”), meaning "Snows 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

  1. (geography, astronomy, obsolete) Former name of Olympus Mons. (19th c. — 1973) (An albedo feature on the planet Mars, now known to be the tallest mountain, but without a snowcap.)
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