Maclaurin (crater)
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| Crater characteristics | |
| Coordinates | 1.9° S, 68.0° E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 50 km |
| Depth | 1.5 km |
| Colongitude | 292° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Colin Maclaurin |
Maclaurin is a lunar impact crater that is located in the eastern part of the Moon's near side. It lies just to the southeast of the small Mare Spumans, and to the northeast of the prominent Langrenus crater. To the east-southeast is Gilbert crater.
The rim of this crater is perhaps unusual for the number of lesser craters attached to the exterior. Along the northern rim are the lava-flooded 'Maclaurin O' and 'Maclaurin K'. There are also satellite craters along the northeaster, east, and southern walls. The only open stretches of rim are along the western side, and a brief stretch to the southeast. The three craters along the southern rim, which include 'Maclaurin A' and 'Maclaurin N', have intruded into the formation sufficiently to compress and slightly flatten that end of the crater. But overall it retains a generally circular form.
The inner walls cut down to a gently descending slope that extends toward the flattened mid-section. The middle portion of the interior floor has been resurfaced, possibly by basaltic-lava, leaving a lower albedo patch with a slightly darkened hue. At the mid-point of the crater interior is a low central ridge.
[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 Maclaurin crater.
| Maclaurin | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3.0° S | 67.6° E | 29 km |
| B | 3.6° S | 71.4° E | 43 km |
| C | 1.1° S | 69.6° E | 26 km |
| D | 7.1° S | 69.9° E | 10 km |
| E | 3.5° S | 65.7° E | 20 km |
| G | 7.0° S | 66.9° E | 12 km |
| H | 1.6° S | 64.1° E | 41 km |
| J | 2.2° S | 69.4° E | 16 km |
| K | 0.9° S | 66.9° E | 34 km |
| L | 1.4° S | 71.7° E | 30 km |
| M | 4.8° S | 69.4° E | 42 km |
| N | 3.8° S | 68.4° E | 29 km |
| O | 0.3° S | 67.9° E | 37 km |
| P | 6.0° S | 69.4° E | 29 km |
| T | 1.8° S | 65.4° E | 35 km |
| U | 3.9° S | 66.2° E | 19 km |
| W | 0.5° N | 68.1° E | 21 km |
| X | 0.1° S | 68.7° E | 24 km |
The following craters have been renamed by the IAU.
- Maclaurin F — See Von Behring crater
- Maclaurin R — See Morley crater
- Maclaurin S — See Hargreaves crater
- Maclaurin Y — See Born crater
[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.
