Vasco da Gama (crater)
| Coordinates | 13°54′N 83°54′W / 13.9°N 83.9°WCoordinates: 13°54′N 83°54′W / 13.9°N 83.9°W |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 83 km |
| Depth | 2.1 km |
| Colongitude | 85° at sunrise |
| Eponym | Vasco da Gama |
Vasco da Gama is a lunar impact crater that is located near the western limb of the Moon. It is named for the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. It lies to the south of the walled plain Einstein, due south of Dalton. Attached to the southwestern rim of Vasco da Gama is the somewhat smaller crater Bohr.
The northern and southern parts of the rim of Vasco da Gama have been heavily eroded by impacts, with the western and eastern rims being more intact. The smaller crater Vasco da Gama S intrudes into the southeastern rim, and just to its southwest is Vasco da Gama T. Near the northeastern rim is Vasco da Gama B.
The interior floor of this crater contains a system of rilles designated the Rimae Vasco da Gama. These primarily lie in the western two-thirds of the floor, and run roughly north-south, sometimes bending near their ends. There is a low central ridge near the mid-point of the interior.
[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 Vasco da Gama.
| Vasco da Gama |
Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 12.7° N | 80.0° W | 23 km |
| B | 15.7° N | 83.0° W | 27 km |
| C | 11.4° N | 84.9° W | 44 km |
| F | 14.0° N | 80.6° W | 53 km |
| P | 12.0° N | 80.4° W | 91 km |
| R | 10.0° N | 83.4° W | 59 km |
| S | 12.6° N | 82.8° W | 28 km |
| T | 11.8° N | 83.3° W | 20 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. 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.
