Littrow (crater)
| Coordinates | 21°30′N 31°24′E / 21.5°N 31.4°ECoordinates: 21°30′N 31°24′E / 21.5°N 31.4°E |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 31 km |
| Depth | 1.2 km |
| Colongitude | 329° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Johann J. von Littrow |
Littrow is a lunar crater that is located in the northeastern part of the Moon's near side, on the east edge of Mare Serenitatis. Some distance to the northeast is the prominent crater Römer, while to the south is Vitruvius.
The rim of Littrow is heavily worn and eroded, especially along the southern wall. The interior has been flooded with lava in the past, leaving a relatively smooth, featureless surface with no central rise.
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[edit] Rimae Littrow
Just to the northwest of Littrow is a system of rilles designated the Rimae Littrow. These are located at selenographic coordinates 22.1° N, 29.9° E, and have a maximum diameter of 115 km. To the south-southwest is the Taurus-Littrow valley that is notable for being the landing site of the Apollo 17 mission. Two tiny craters to the west of this site have been assigned names by the IAU. These are listed below.
| Crater | Longitude | Latitude | Diameter | Name source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ching-Te | 20.0° N | 30.0° W | 4 km | Chinese masculine |
| Stella | 19.9° N | 29.8° W | 1 km | Latin feminine |
[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 Littrow.
| Littrow | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 22.2° N | 32.2° E | 23 km |
| D | 23.7° N | 32.8° E | 8 km |
| F | 22.0° N | 34.1° E | 12 km |
| P | 23.2° N | 32.8° E | 36 km |
The following craters have been renamed by the IAU.
- Littrow B — See Clerke (crater).
[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. 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
- LTO-43D1 Littrow — L&PI topographic map
