Mairan (crater)
![]() Lunar Orbiter 4 image | |
Coordinates | 41°36′N 43°24′W / 41.6°N 43.4°W |
---|---|
Diameter | 40 km |
Depth | 3.4 km |
Colongitude | 44° at sunrise |
Eponym | Jean J. d'Ortous de Mairan |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Mairan_crater_AS15-93-12713.jpg/240px-Mairan_crater_AS15-93-12713.jpg)
Mairan is a lunar impact crater that is located on a highland peninsula between Oceanus Procellarum to the west and Mare Imbrium to the east. To the north-northeast is the comparably sized crater Sharp. Northwest of Mairan is the heavily eroded Louville.
The outer rim of Mairan has not been significantly eroded or impacted, and retains a sharp edge. The surface around Mairan is rough and irregular, with a multitude of many tiny craters, particularly to the south and west. The inner walls display some terracing, and flow down to a relatively flat interior floor.
In the mare, due west of Mairan, is a small lunar dome designated Mairan T with tiny crater at the summit (in official IAU nomenclature this name refers only to the crater).[1] Its width is about 7 km, and height is about 800 m.[2] It is one of unusually steep and bright domes which are thought to be formed by very viscous, high-Si lava.[3]
Rima Mairan
There is a sinuous rille along the southwest edge of the highland peninsula containing Mairan. It is designated Rima Mairan, and follows a north–south course for a length of about 100 kilometers.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Rima_Mairan_AS15-95-12870.jpg/240px-Rima_Mairan_AS15-95-12870.jpg)
Satellite craters
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Mairan.
Mairan | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
---|---|---|---|
A | 38.6° N | 38.8° W | 16 km |
C | 38.6° N | 46.0° W | 7 km |
D | 40.9° N | 45.4° W | 10 km |
E | 37.8° N | 37.2° W | 6 km |
F | 40.3° N | 45.1° W | 9 km |
G | 40.9° N | 50.8° W | 6 km |
H | 39.3° N | 40.0° W | 5 km |
K | 40.8° N | 41.0° W | 6 km |
L | 39.0° N | 43.2° W | 6 km |
N | 39.2° N | 45.5° W | 6 km |
T | 41.7° N | 48.3° W | 3 km |
Y | 42.7° N | 44.0° W | 7 km |
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Lunar dome Mairan T
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Mairan T from Apollo 15
References
- ^ "Mairan". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
- ^ Tran, T.; Robinson, M. S.; Lawrence, S. J.; Braden, S. E.; Plescia, J.; Hawke, B. R.; et al. (March 2011). "Morphometry of Lunar Volcanic Domes from LROC" (PDF). 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, held March 7–11, 2011 at The Woodlands, Texas. LPI Contribution (1608 p.2228): 2228. Bibcode:2011LPI....42.2228T.
- ^ Lena R.; Wöhler C.; Phillips J.; Chiocchetta M. T. (2013). Lunar Domes: Properties and Formation Processes. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. vii, 5–13, 35, 42. doi:10.1007/978-88-470-2637-7. ISBN 9788847026377.
- Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature (PDF). NASA RP-1097. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06.
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(help)CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - Blue, Jennifer (July 25, 2007). "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature". USGS. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
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(help) - Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4.
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(help) - Cocks, Elijah E.; Cocks, Josiah C. (1995). Who's Who on the Moon: A Biographical Dictionary of Lunar Nomenclature. Tudor Publishers. ISBN 978-0-936389-27-1.
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(help) - McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
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(help) - 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.
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(help) - Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6.
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(help) - Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3.
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(help) - Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4.
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(help) - Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3.
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(help) - Whitaker, Ewen A. (2003). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-54414-6.
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(help) - Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-1-852-33193-1.