Encke (crater)
 Lunar Orbiter 4 image | |
| Coordinates | 4°36′N 36°36′W / 4.6°N 36.6°W |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 28 km |
| Depth | 0.8 km |
| Colongitude | 37° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Johann F. Encke |
Encke is a lunar impact crater that is located on the western edge of the Mare Insularum, to the south-southeast of the crater Kepler. The small crater Kunowsky lies to the east-southeast on the mare.
The crater is named after German mathematician and astronomer Johann Franz Encke.[1]
The rim of Encke is low and somewhat polygonal in shape. The tiny craterlet Encke N lies across the western rim. This is a floor-fractured crater with a somewhat uneven surface,[2] and is covered in ray material from the nearby Kepler. The high albedo of this ejecta makes Encke a bright feature when the Sun is at a high elevation over the lunar surface.
Satellite craters
[edit]By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Encke.
| Encke | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | 2.4° N | 36.8° W | 12 km |
| C | 0.7° N | 36.4° W | 9 km |
| E | 0.3° N | 40.1° W | 9 km |
| G | 4.8° N | 38.8° W | 7 km |
| H | 4.0° N | 37.3° W | 4 km |
| J | 5.2° N | 39.5° W | 5 km |
| K | 1.4° N | 37.2° W | 4 km |
| M | 4.5° N | 35.1° W | 3 km |
| N | 4.6° N | 37.1° W | 4 km |
| T | 3.4° N | 38.0° W | 91 km |
| X | 0.9° N | 40.3° W | 3 km |
| Y | 5.9° N | 36.4° W | 3 km |
High-resolution Lunar Orbiter 1 image of Encke C
Apollo 12 image of Encke C
Apollo 12 image of Encke E
Apollo 12 image of Encke X, with its bright ray system
References
[edit]- ↑ "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature | Encke". usgs.gov. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
- ↑ Jozwiak, Lauren M.; et al. (November 2012). "Lunar floor-fractured craters: Classification, distribution, origin and implications for magmatism and shallow crustal structure". Journal of Geophysical Research. 117 (E11) E11005. Bibcode:2012JGRE..11711005J. doi:10.1029/2012JE004134. hdl:1721.1/85651.
Sources
[edit]- Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097.
- Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
- Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 978-0-936389-27-1.
- McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Archived from the original on 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
- Menzel, D. H.; Minnaert, M.; Levin, B.; Dollfus, A.; Bell, B. (1971). "Report on Lunar Nomenclature by the Working Group of Commission 17 of the IAU". Space Science Reviews. 12 (2): 136–186. Bibcode:1971SSRv...12..136M. doi:10.1007/BF00171763. S2CID 122125855.
- Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
- Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3.
- 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.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6.
- Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1.
External links
[edit]- Lunar Orbiter 1 sequence of images 153, 154, 155, and 156, showing Encke C and vicinity
