Mairan (crater)
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| Crater characteristics | |
| Coordinates | 41.6° N, 43.4° W |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 40 km |
| Depth | 3.4 km |
| Colongitude | 44° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Jean J. d'Ortous de Mairan |
Mairan is a lunar impact crater that is located on a highland peninsula between Oceanus Procellarum to the west and Mare Imbrium to the east. To the north-northeast is the comparably-sized Sharp crater. Northwest of Mairan is the heavily eroded Louville crater.
The outer rim of Mairan has not been significantly eroded or impacted, and retains a sharp edge. The surface about Mairan is rough and irregular, with a multitude of many tiny craters, particularly to the south and west. The inner walls display some terracing, and flow down to a relatively flat interior floor.
In the mare due west of Mairan crater is a small lunar dome designated 'Mairan T'. The dome has a tiny crater at the summit. There is also a sinuous rille along the southwest edge of the highland peninsula containing Mairan crater. It is designated Rima Mairan, and follows a north-south course for a length of about 100 kilometers.
[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 Mairan crater.
| Mairan | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 38.6° N | 38.8° W | 16 km |
| C | 38.6° N | 46.0° W | 7 km |
| D | 40.9° N | 45.4° W | 10 km |
| E | 37.8° N | 37.2° W | 6 km |
| F | 40.3° N | 45.1° W | 9 km |
| G | 40.9° N | 50.8° W | 6 km |
| H | 39.3° N | 40.0° W | 5 km |
| K | 40.8° N | 41.0° W | 6 km |
| L | 39.0° N | 43.2° W | 6 km |
| N | 39.2° N | 45.5° W | 6 km |
| T | 41.7° N | 48.3° W | 3 km |
| Y | 42.7° N | 44.0° W | 7 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.
