Thomson (crater)
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| Crater characteristics | |
 Mare Ingenii, dominated by Thomson crater |
|
| Coordinates | 32.7° S, 166.2° E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 117 km |
| Depth | Unknown |
| Colongitude | 195° at sunrise |
| Eponym | J. J. Thomson |
Thomson is a lunar crater that is located within the Mare Ingenii on the far side of the Moon. Just to the northeast is the unusual merged crater formation of Van de Graaff. On the northwest rim of the mare is O'Day crater, and to the south-southwest is Obruchev crater on the southern shore of Mare Ingenii.
In the past the crater was flooded by lava, leaving only the outer rim intact. There are gaps in the eastern and western rims, leaving two "half-moon" mountainous formations facing each other across the relatively flat floor. There is a similar lava-flooded crater remnant attached to the southern rim of Thomson. The floor of Thomson has a number of secondary impacts that form short, linear streaks across the surface.
[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 Thomson crater.
| Thomson | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| J | 35.9° S | 169.6° E | 44 km |
| M | 35.7° S | 166.0° E | 119 km |
| V | 30.7° S | 162.2° E | 13 km |
| W | 30.2° S | 163.3° E | 17 km |
[edit] References
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- 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.
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- 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.
