Valera (crater)

Valera
Map of the minor features that the rover Lunokhod-1 passed, Valera is above the middle and left of the photo
Coordinates 38°17′22″N 35°00′07″W / 38.2895°N 35.002°W / 38.2895; -35.002Coordinates: 38°17′22″N 35°00′07″W / 38.2895°N 35.002°W / 38.2895; -35.002
Diameter c. 70 m
Depth Unknown
Eponym Russian male name
LRO image

Valera is a tiny lunar craterlet located in the northwest part of the Mare Imbrium in the northwest of the lunar near side. The craterlet is located northwest of the center of a larger craterlet Borya, other nearby craterlets are Gena to the SSE, Vitya to the SSW and Albert, Leonid and Kolya further north. Major features include Promontorium Heraclides, located 30 km north, and C. Herschel crater located about 150 km south-southeast, the closest to where Lunokhod 1 visited.

Description

The crater is named after the dimunitive form of the Latin male name Valerius (Valery), one of the 12 craterlet names in the area where Lunokhod 1 passed that were approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) on June 14, 2012.[1]

The Soviet lander Luna 17 crossed close to the eastern rim around June 1971 after going north west of the craterlet now Borya, it then headed northeast north of Borya, after three winding curves, it headed northward to the last three craterlets around July. The location and the lander's tracks were founded in a Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter image on March 17, 2010 by Albert Abdrakhimov.[2][3]

Location

Valera is one of twelve named craters near the landing site, located in the northwest of Mare Imbrium

References

  1. ↑ "Valera". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved October 24, 2017 – via usgs.gov.
  2. ↑ Lakdawalla, Emily (March 17, 2010). "And now for Luna 17 and Lunokhod 1". Planetary Report.
  3. ↑ "LROC Observation M114185541R". Arizona State University.
  • Valera at The Moon Wiki
  • "Lunokhod-1 traverse map (Landing site Luna 17)" (PDF). Moscow State University of Geodesy and cartography (MIIGAiK), German Aerospace Center (DLR). 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-02-22. Retrieved 2017-10-16.
  • Wood, Chuck (June 16, 2012). "Overdue Names". Lunar Photo of the Day. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
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