Gill (lunar crater)
| Coordinates | 63°54′S 75°54′E / 63.9°S 75.9°ECoordinates: 63°54′S 75°54′E / 63.9°S 75.9°E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 66 km |
| Depth | Unknown |
| Colongitude | 286° at sunrise |
| Eponym | David Gill |
Gill is a lunar crater that is located near the southeastern limb of the Moon. Due to its proximity to the edge of the Moon as seen from the Earth, this crater is viewed nearly from the side and it can become hidden from sight due to libration. The crater lies to the southwest of the irregular Mare Australe, and southeast of the prominent crater Pontécoulant. To the southwest of Gill is the crater Helmholtz.
This is an old, eroded crater formation with an outer rim that is uneven from a history of impacts. A joined pair of small craters lie along the northern rim, and Gill A intrudes slightly into the western outer rim. The interior floor is relatively level, and is marked by several craterlets.
On June 11, 2009, the Japanese SELENE lunar orbiter spacecraft was deliberately crashed into the surface of the Moon to the southeast of the Gill crater. The impact site was at selenographic coordinates 65.5 S, 80.4 E.[1] The flash from the impact was successfully observed from Mount Abu Observatory in Gurushikar, India.[2] and by the Anglo-Australian Telescope.[3]
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[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 Gill.
| Gill | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter (km) | Diameter (mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 63.6° S | 72.9° E | 13 km | 8 mi |
| B | 61.7° S | 69.9° E | 31 km | 19 mi |
| C | 62.2° S | 67.4° E | 30 km | 19 mi |
| D | 63.4° S | 79.8° E | 15 km | 9 mi |
| E | 63.3° S | 70.4° E | 13 km | 8 mi |
| F | 63.8° S | 65.1° E | 23 km | 14 mi |
| G | 63.5° S | 68.2° E | 32 km | 20 mi |
| H | 63.9° S | 70.2° E | 8 km | 5 mi |
[edit] References
- ^ "KAGUYA (SELENE) Slam Crashed to the Moon". Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. June 11, 2009. http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/06/20090611_kaguya_e.html. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
- ^ "Impact of Japanese spacecraft Kaguya (Selene) on lunar surface". European Space Agency. June 17, 2009. http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=45045. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
- ^ "AAO Newsletter August 2009". Anglo Australian Observatory. August 31, 2009. http://www.aao.gov.au/local/www/lib/newsletters/aug09/aug09.pdf. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
[edit] General 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. http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/. Retrieved 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. http://host.planet4589.org/astro/lunar/. Retrieved 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 (2): 136–186. Bibcode 1971SSRv...12..136M. doi:10.1007/BF00171763.
- 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 0-521-33500-0.
- 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 ed.). 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 1-85233-193-3.
[edit] External links
- Wood, Chuck (November 28, 2007). "Full Res!". Lunar Photo of the Day. http://www.lpod.org/?m=20071128. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
