West (lunar crater)

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West
West crater M175124932LR.jpg
LRO image
Coordinates 0°40′N23°29′E / 0.67°N 23.49°E / 0.67; 23.49 Coordinates: 0°40′N23°29′E / 0.67°N 23.49°E / 0.67; 23.49
Diameter 190 m [1]
Eponym Astronaut-named feature
The view of West crater and the northern portion of its ejecta blanket of boulders, from the Apollo 11 Lunar Module Eagle during descent to the surface. West is the largest crater, near the top, partially obscured by the Lunar Module. Facing west from about 450 feet above the surface. Apollo 11 descent West crater.jpg
The view of West crater and the northern portion of its ejecta blanket of boulders, from the Apollo 11 Lunar Module Eagle during descent to the surface. West is the largest crater, near the top, partially obscured by the Lunar Module. Facing west from about 450 feet above the surface.
Lunar Orbiter 5 image with West at right and the Apollo 11 landing site at red dot Apollo 11 landing site 5076 h3.jpg
Lunar Orbiter 5 image with West at right and the Apollo 11 landing site at red dot

West crater is a small crater in Mare Tranquillitatis on the Moon, east of the Apollo 11 landing site, which is known as Tranquility Base. The name of the crater was formally adopted by the IAU in 1973. [1]

The Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the Lunar Module (LM) Eagle approximately 550 meters west of West crater on July 20, 1969. During the descent, West crater was a major landmark. The lunar lander flew over the crater at an altitude of about 100 meters. [2] The boulder field that Armstrong saw a need to avoid during the descent was the ejecta of West crater. Just beyond this ejecta was Little West crater which also had to be avoided. [2]

At the time of Apollo 11, the words “east” and “west” were used to describe directions on the Moon from the perspective of an observer on Earth. The crater was therefore named “West Crater” even though it appears to the east of the landing site on modern lunar maps. [3]

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Aldrin (crater)

Aldrin is a small impact crater located on the southern part of the Mare Tranquillitatis, to the east of Sabine. It is located about 50 kilometers to the northwest of the Apollo 11 landing site, Tranquility Base. Named after Buzz Aldrin, the crater is the westernmost of a row of three craters named in honor of the Apollo 11 crew members. About 30 kilometers to the east is the landing site of the Surveyor 5 lunar probe.

Armstrong (crater)

Armstrong is a small lunar impact crater located in the southern part of the Mare Tranquillitatis. It lies about 50 kilometers to the northeast of the Apollo 11 landing site, Tranquility Base. Named after American astronaut Neil Armstrong, the crater is the easternmost of the row of three craters named in honor of the Apollo 11 crew members. To the north is the Ranger 8 impact site.

Collins (crater)

Collins is a tiny lunar impact crater located on the southern part of the Mare Tranquillitatis. It is located about 25 kilometers to the north of the Apollo 11 landing site, Tranquility Base. Named after American astronaut Michael Collins, the crater is the central member of the row of three craters named in honor of the Apollo 11 crew members. About 15 kilometers to the west-northwest is the landing site of the Surveyor 5 lunar probe.

Proclus (crater)

Proclus is a young lunar impact crater located to the west of the Mare Crisium, on the east shore of the Palus Somni. Its diameter is 27 km. It was named after 5th century Greek mathematician, astronomer and philosopher Proclus. It lies to the south of the prominent, terraced crater Macrobius, and west-northwest of the lava-flooded Yerkes.

Sabine (crater)

Sabine is a lunar impact crater that forms a nearly matching pair with Ritter to the northwest. The two rims are separated by a distance of only a couple of kilometers. To the west is the bowl-shaped crater Schmidt, and farther to the north are Manners and Arago. Its diameter is 30 km. It was named after Irish physicist and astronomer Edward Sabine.

King (crater)

King is a prominent lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon, and can not be viewed directly from Earth. The crater was named after Arthur Scott King and Edward Skinner King in 1970. Prior to that, this crater was known as Crater 211. It forms a pair with Ibn Firnas, which is only slightly larger and is attached to the northeast rim of King. To the northwest is the crater Lobachevskiy, and Guyot is located an equal distance to the north-northwest.

Dollond (crater)

Dollond is a small lunar impact crater that is located in the central region of the Moon, to the north of the crater Abulfeda. It was named after British optician John Dollond. Due west of Dollond is Anděl. Dollond is circular and cone shaped, with a tiny floor at the midpoint of the sloping interior walls.

Tranquility Base Moonbase

Tranquility Base is the site on the Moon where, in July 1969, humans landed and walked on a celestial body other than Earth for the first time. On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 crewmembers Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed their Apollo Lunar Module Eagle at approximately 20:17:40 UTC. Armstrong exited the spacecraft six hours 39 minutes after touchdown, followed 19 minutes later by Aldrin. The astronauts spent two hours 31 minutes examining and photographing the lunar surface, setting up several scientific experiment packages, and collecting 47.5 pounds (21.5 kg) of dirt and rock samples for return to Earth. They lifted off the surface on July 21 at 17:54 UTC.

Shorty (crater) Lunar crater

Shorty is a feature on Earth's Moon, a likely volcanic crater in the Taurus–Littrow valley. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt visited it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission. It is the location of the famous "orange soil," which geologists believe to be small bits of rapidly-cooled molten rock ejected in a fire fountain. It is about 110 meters in diameter and up to 14 m (15 yd) deep.

Shorty Crater is about 14 m deep. Based on our investigations at the site and later examination of photographs, the impact that formed it penetrated, in order, regolith on the avalanche deposit, the avalanche deposit, regolith on a basalt flow, a basalt flow overlying and protecting the orange and black glass layers, the orange and black glass layers, regolith on a second basalt flow, and, finally, the upper portion of that second flow. Orange and black glass clods and basalt boulders are spread throughout the ejecta blanket surrounding Shorty.

South Ray (crater)

South Ray crater is a small crater in the Descartes Highlands of the Moon photographed from the lunar surface by the astronauts of Apollo 16. The name of the crater was formally adopted by the IAU in 1973.

Palmetto (crater)

Palmetto crater is a small crater in the Descartes Highlands of the Moon visited by the astronauts of Apollo 16. The name of the crater was formally adopted by the IAU in 1973.

Camelot (crater) Lunar impact crater

Camelot is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in Taurus-Littrow valley. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt visited it in 1972, on the Apollo 17 mission, during EVA 2. Geology Station 5 was along the south rim of Camelot.

Little West (lunar crater)

Little West is a small crater in Mare Tranquillitatis on the Moon, east of the Apollo 11 landing site known as Tranquility Base.

Elbow (lunar crater)

Elbow is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in the Hadley–Apennine region. Astronauts David Scott and James Irwin visited the east rim of it in 1971, on the Apollo 15 mission, during EVA 1. The east rim of Elbow was designated Geology Station 1 of the mission. Geology Station 2 was to the southwest of the crater, up the slope of Mons Hadley Delta.

Rhysling (crater)

Rhysling is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in the Hadley–Apennine region. Astronauts David Scott and James Irwin stopped near the west rim of it in 1971, on the Apollo 15 mission, during EVA 1. Geology Station 3 was about 125 meters west of Rhysling, and a single piece of vesicular basalt was collected there. The rock is sometimes called the seatbelt basalt.

St. George (crater)

St. George is a feature on Earth's Moon, a crater in the Hadley–Apennine region. Astronauts David Scott and James Irwin drove their rover onto what was suspected to be its ejecta blanket in 1971, on the Apollo 15 mission, during EVA 1. They collected samples to the northeast of the crater, at Geology Station 2 of the mission.

Double is a small crater in Mare Tranquillitatis on the Moon, west of the Apollo 11 landing site known as Tranquility Base.

Surveyor (crater)

Surveyor crater is a small crater in Mare Cognitum on the Moon. The name of the crater was formally adopted by the IAU in 1973.

Cone (crater)

Cone crater is a small crater in the Fra Mauro highlands, north of Fra Mauro crater, on the Moon. The name of the crater was formally adopted by the IAU in 1973.

References

  1. 1 2 West, Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN)
  2. 1 2 Harland, David M (1999). Exploring The Moon The Apollo Expeditions. Springer Praxis. p. 21. ISBN   1852330996.
  3. , Apollo 11 Lunar Surface Journal, EASEP Deployment and Closeout