Helicon (crater)

Helicon

Lunar Orbiter 4 image
Diameter	25 km
Depth	0.5 km
Colongitude	23° at sunrise
Eponym	Helicon

Highly oblique view of Helicon (left) and Le Verrier (right). The mountain on the horizon at left is Promontorium Laplace, about 180 km beyond Helicon. Note that Helicon's ejecta is buried by the mare lava, but Le Verrier's is not. From Apollo 15.

Another oblique view of Helicon (left), at a higher sun angle. Also from Apollo 15.

Helicon is a small lunar impact crater that is located on the north part of the Mare Imbrium. To the northwest is the prominent Sinus Iridum, a mountain-ringed bay on the mare. Just to the east is the slightly smaller crater Le Verrier. Helicon is a nearly circular formation with inner walls that curve down to a relatively flat floor. There is a tiny craterlet located at the midpoint of the interior, and a small craterlet along the southwestern rim. As of the 10th of April 2016, this crater is presided over by owner Grace Frances Fethers of Melbourne, Australia. Her plans for the area have not yet been confirmed, but there have been speculations of a palace and surrounding moat.

Satellite craters

According to convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Helicon.

Helicon	Latitude	Longitude	Diameter
B	38.0° N	21.3° W	6 km
C	40.1° N	26.2° W	1 km
E	40.5° N	24.1° W	3 km
G	41.7° N	24.9° W	2 km

References

• Andersson, L. E.; Whitaker, E. A. (1982). NASA Catalogue of Lunar Nomenclature. NASA RP-1097. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Blue, Jennifer (July 25, 2007). "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature". USGS. Retrieved 2007-08-05. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Bussey, B.; Spudis, P. (2004). The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81528-4. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (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. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• McDowell, Jonathan (July 15, 2007). "Lunar Nomenclature". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2007-10-24. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (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. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Moore, Patrick (2001). On the Moon. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-304-35469-6. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Price, Fred W. (1988). The Moon Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-33500-3. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Rükl, Antonín (1990). Atlas of the Moon. Kalmbach Books. ISBN 978-0-913135-17-4. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Webb, Rev. T. W. (1962). Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes (6th revised ed.). Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-20917-3. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Whitaker, Ewen A. (1999). Mapping and Naming the Moon. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-62248-6. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Wlasuk, Peter T. (2000). Observing the Moon. Springer. ISBN 978-1-85233-193-1. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)