Rowland (crater)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Crater characteristics
Coordinates	57.4° N, 162.5° W
Diameter	171 km
Depth	Unknown
Colongitude	163° at sunrise
Eponym	Henry A. Rowland

Rowland is a large lunar crater that is located in the northern part of the Moon, on the far side from the Earth. This is an old, worn formation that is overlaid by a number of smaller craters. The most notable of these is 'Rowland Y', which is attached to the inner wall along the north-northwestern rim. Additional smaller craters are attached to the inner wall along the southeast and south-southwest rims, the later being designated 'Rowland N'. 'Rowland C' forms a double-crater with a smaller, bowl-shaped formation in the eastern part of the floor.

The outer wall of Rowland has been rounded by a long history of minor impacts, leaving the edge somewhat irregular and rough. The top of the rim has been worn down until it became almost level with the surrounding terrain, making this a circular depression in the surface. The remains of a terrace can still be discerned in places, particularly along the eastern and southeastern inner wall.

Attached to the exterior of the eastern rim is the huge Birkhoff walled-plain, an even older and more worn formation. Due north of Rowland, within one crater diameter, is the Sommerfeld crater. To the west-southwest is the smaller Chappell crater.

[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 Rowland crater.

Rowland	Latitude	Longitude	Diameter
G	57.0° N	159.4° W	18 km
J	53.1° N	155.5° W	49 km
K	51.4° N	157.1° W	25 km
M	51.9° N	162.4° W	58 km
N	55.4° N	163.7° W	30 km
R	53.7° N	169.5° W	24 km
Y	59.1° N	163.0° W	54 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.