Gutenberg (crater)

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Crater characteristics
Coordinates 8.6° S, 41.2° E
Diameter 74 km
Depth 2.3 km
Colongitude   318° at sunrise
Eponym Johann Gutenberg

Gutenberg is a lunar crater that lies along the west edge of Mare Fecunditatis, in the eastern part of the visible Moon. To the southeast is the Goclenius crater, and to the southeast are Magelhaens and Colombo craters.

The rim of Gutenberg is worn and eroded, most notably in the east where it is broken by overlapping crater 'Gutenberg E'. This crater in turn has gaps in its southeast and southwest rims, forming a passage to the lunar mare to the east. There are also clefts and valleys in the southern rim where it joins 'Gutenberg C'. Craterlet 'Gutenberg A' is intruding into the southwest rim.

The floor of Gutenberg and 'Gutenberg E' have been flooded in the past by lava, forming a relatively flat plain across the bottom. This surface is broken across the northeast by a pair of clefts that form a part of the Rimae Goclenius. These extend northwest from the Goclenius crater region. The central rise of Gutenberg crater is a semi-circular range of hills that are the most prominent in the south, and the concave part lies open to the east. The floor is otherwise not marred by any significant craterlets.

[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 Gutenberg crater.

Gutenberg Latitude Longitude Diameter
A 9.0° S 39.9° E 15 km
B 9.1° S 38.3° E 15 km
C 10.0° S 41.1° E 45 km
D 10.9° S 42.8° E 20 km
E 8.2° S 42.4° E 28 km
F 10.2° S 42.6° E 8 km
G 6.0° S 40.0° E 32 km
H 6.7° S 39.0° E 5 km
K 7.2° S 40.8° E 6 km

[edit] References

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