Lichtenberg (crater)

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This article is about the lunar impact crater. For other uses, see Lichtenberg (disambiguation).

Crater characteristics
Coordinates	31.8° N, 67.7° W
Diameter	20 km
Depth	1.2 km
Colongitude	68° at sunrise
Eponym	Georg C. Lichtenberg

Lichtenberg is an isolated lunar crater located in the western part of the Oceanus Procellarum. The nearest crater of note is Briggs crater to the south.

The Lichtenberg crater is a relatively young formation with a small system of rays. The rays extend to the north and west of the crater but not elsewhere. The remaining flanks of the surface about the crater exhibit the low albedo of the lunar mare, and have overlaid the existing rays on the east and south sides of the crater. These are among the youngest deposits of basaltic-lava on the Moon, and are believed to be less than 1 billion years in age.

The rim of this crater is circular and sharp-edged, with negligible wear. On the inner sides the loose material has slid to the base, forming a ring of scree about the interior floor. Both the rim and the interior floor exhibit a relatively high albedo, which is usually an indication of a younger crater that has not been darkened by space weathering. The Lichtenberg crater overlays a larger, ring-shaped ghost-crater to the northwest, which has a low central rise. This feature is covered by ray material.

Lichtenberg has been noted in the past for occurrences of transient lunar phenomenon. These typically take the form of a temporary, red-hued patch.

[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 Lichtenberg crater.

Lichtenberg	Latitude	Longitude	Diameter
A	29.0° N	60.1° W	7 km
B	33.3° N	61.5° W	5 km
F	33.2° N	65.3° W	5 km
H	31.5° N	58.9° W	4 km
R	34.7° N	70.2° W	34 km

The following craters have been renamed by the IAU.

Lichtenberg G — See Humason crater.

[edit] References

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