Herschel (lunar crater)

Herschel
Herschel (center), with Ptolemaeus (right) and Flammarion (lower left), from Apollo 12
Coordinates 5°42′S 2°06′W / 5.7°S 2.1°W / -5.7; -2.1Coordinates: 5°42′S 2°06′W / 5.7°S 2.1°W / -5.7; -2.1
Diameter 41 km
Depth 3.8 km
Colongitude 3° at sunrise
Eponym William Herschel
Lunar Orbiter 4 image of Herschel
Oblique image of Herschel from Apollo 12

Herschel is a lunar impact crater located just to the north of the walled plain Ptolemaeus. They are one of three named after a Herschel on the Moon and being one of three craters in the solar system named after the famed astronomer William Herschel.

Its diameter is 41 km long and is 3,800 meters deep. Also, the area is around 1,250 km² and the perimeter is around 130 km.

Just about 10 km north is the flooded crater Spörer, and around 30 km due east lies the disintegrated crater Gyldén. About a crater diameter to the northwest (35 km) is the walled plain Flammarion, along the southern edge of the Sinus Medii.

The rim of this crater is generally circular, although the western side is straight. It has a well-defined edge that is not significantly worn, and the inner walls are terraced. On the rough inner floor is a notable central rise. This peak is offset slightly to the west of the crater midpoint. The small crater Herschel G is attached to the south-southwest rim, and a tiny craterlet lies across the southern rim.

Satellite craters

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Herschel.

Herschel Latitude Longitude Diameter
C 5.0° S 3.2° W 10 km
D 5.3° S 4.0° W 20 km
F 5.8° S 4.4° W 7 km
G 6.5° S 2.4° W 14 km
H 6.3° S 3.4° W 5 km
J 6.4° S 4.3° W 5 km
N 5.2° S 1.1° W 15 km
X 5.3° S 2.7° W 3 km

See also

References

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  • Blue, Jennifer (July 25, 2007). "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature". USGS. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
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  • McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
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  • Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.
  • Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3.
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  • Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.
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