Xenophanes (crater)
 Oblique Lunar Orbiter 4 image | |
| Coordinates | 57°30′N 82°00′W / 57.5°N 82.0°W |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 125 km |
| Depth | 3.2 km |
| Colongitude | 86° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Xenophanes |
Xenophanes is a lunar impact crater that is located along the northwestern limb of the Moon. It is nearly attached to Volta, a similar formation to the south-southwest. To the northeast is the smaller crater Cleostratus. Xenophanes is significantly foreshortened when viewed from the Earth, hindering observation.
It is a worn and eroded crater with a battered outer rim that is overlaid by several smaller craters. The rim is a circular range of rugged, irregular ground that is notched in places along the inner wall. A chain of small craters lies along the northern and northeastern rim. At the west end, a pair of clefts in the rim nearly join the floor to the surface beyond. To the northeast, Xenophanes A is an impact crater with a sharp rim and a rough interior.
The interior surface is irregular, but sections have been resurfaced by basaltic lava. A pair of flooded crater rims lie along the southern and northeast sections of the interior. The interior is more level and less rough at the eastern end.
Satellite craters
[edit]By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Xenophanes.
| Xenophanes | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 60.1° N | 84.8° W | 42 km |
| B | 59.4° N | 80.5° W | 15 km |
| C | 59.6° N | 78.7° W | 8 km |
| D | 58.6° N | 77.4° W | 12 km |
| E | 58.1° N | 85.8° W | 12 km |
| F | 56.7° N | 73.2° W | 24 km |
| G | 56.9° N | 75.7° W | 7 km |
| K | 58.7° N | 84.5° W | 13 km |
| L | 54.8° N | 78.6° W | 21 km |
| M | 54.8° N | 79.6° W | 9 km |
References
[edit]- 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 2007-08-05.
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- 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 (2): 136–186. Bibcode:1971SSRv...12..136M. doi:10.1007/BF00171763. S2CID 122125855.
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