Le Monnier (crater)

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Crater characteristics
Coordinates 26.6° N, 30.6° E
Diameter 61 km
Depth 2.4 km
Colongitude   330° at sunrise
Eponym Pierre C. Lemonnier

Le Monnier is the remnant of a lunar crater that has been partly inundated by lava flows. It is located on the east edge of Mare Serenitatis, and the west part of the rim is missing so that it now forms a large bay. To the north is the Chacornac crater.

The interior of this formation is relatively flat and smooth, with no significant craterlets to mark the surface. The outer rim is battered, worn, and notched with past impacts. Only slight wrinkle-ridges now mark where the western rim once lay.

The landing site of the Luna 21 space probe is located near the southern rim of Le Monnier. Lunokhod 2, a robotic roving vehicle deposited on the surface by Luna 21, covered a distance of 37 kilometers across the crater floor. It also surveyed the southern edge of the crater rim.

[edit] Satellite craters

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater mid-point that is closest to Le Monnier crater.

le Monnier Latitude Longitude Diameter
A 26.9° N 32.5° E 21 km
H 25.0° N 29.6° E 6 km
K 27.7° N 30.2° E 4 km
S 26.8° N 33.9° E 40 km
T 25.1° N 31.4° E 18 km
U 26.1° N 33.5° E 25 km
V 26.0° N 34.3° E 23 km

The following craters have been renamed by the IAU.

[edit] References

  • See the reference table for the general listing of literature and web sites that were used in the compilation of this page.

[edit] External links