Clairaut (crater)
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| Crater characteristics | |
| Coordinates | 47.7° S, 13.9° E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 75 km |
| Depth | 2.7 km |
| Colongitude | 348° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Alexis C. Clairaut |
Clairaut is a lunar crater that is located in the rugged southern highlands of the Moon's near side. It lies directly to the south of the Maurolycus crater, and southeast of Barocius crater. Just to the southwest is Cuvier crater.
This crater has been eroded and damaged by subsequent impacts, particularly in the southern half of the formation. The satellite crater 'Clairaut A' lies across the southeastern rim. The southern rim has been modified by several small craters, including 'Clairaut B'. On the southeastern interior floor is the small crater 'Clairaut C'. In the northern part of the floor is a merged crater pair 'Clairaut D'. 'Clairaut E' is attached to the exterior of the northwest rim.
The inner wall of Clairaut has been softened by impacts until now it forms a simple slope down to the relatively flat floor, at least where the floor has not been marked by impacts. There is a minor inward bulge along the inner wall to the west-northwest.
[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 Clairaut crater.
| Clairaut | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 48.9° S | 14.8° E | 36 km |
| B | 48.3° S | 12.6° E | 43 km |
| C | 48.1° S | 13.5° E | 17 km |
| D | 47.3° S | 14.2° E | 12 km |
| E | 46.4° S | 12.6° E | 29 km |
| F | 46.0° S | 14.5° E | 23 km |
| G | 47.2° S | 11.7° E | 6 km |
| H | 48.9° S | 12.1° E | 9 km |
| J | 45.7° S | 12.7° E | 14 km |
| K | 49.7° S | 14.0° E | 12 km |
| M | 46.1° S | 13.8° E | 5 km |
| P | 49.0° S | 11.8° E | 9 km |
| R | 48.0° S | 15.9° E | 15 km |
| S | 47.5° S | 16.3° E | 22 km |
[edit] References
- Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A., (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097.
- Blue, Jennifer (July 25, 2007). Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS. Retrieved on 2007-08-05.
- Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-81528-2.
- Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 0-936389-27-3.
- McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). Lunar Nomenclature. Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved on 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: 136.
- Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co.. ISBN 0-304-35469-4.
- Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521335000.
- Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 0-913135-17-8.
- Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes, 6th revision, Dover. ISBN 0-486-20917-2.
- Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-62248-4.
- Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 1852331933.
