Galen (crater)

Last updated
Galen
Galen crater 4102 h3.jpg
Coordinates 21°54′N5°00′E / 21.9°N 5.0°E / 21.9; 5.0 Coordinates: 21°54′N5°00′E / 21.9°N 5.0°E / 21.9; 5.0
Diameter 10 km (6.2 mi)
Depth 1.6 km (0.99 mi)
Colongitude 355° at sunrise
Eponym Claudius Galen
Apollo 15 mapping camera image Galen crater AS15-M-1817.jpg
Apollo 15 mapping camera image

Galen is a small lunar impact crater that lies in the rugged region between the Montes Apenninus range to the west and the Montes Haemus in the east. It is located to the south-southeast of the crater Aratus, a slightly larger formation. Further to the west is the crater Conon, near the flanks of the Montes Apeninnus. Galen was previously designated Aratus A before being given a name by the IAU.

Lunar craters

Lunar craters are impact craters on Earth's Moon. The Moon's surface has many craters, almost all of which were formed by impacts.

Impact crater Circular depression on a solid astronomical body formed by a hypervelocity impact of a smaller object

An impact crater is an approximately circular depression in the surface of a planet, moon, or other solid body in the Solar System or elsewhere, formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller body. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact craters typically have raised rims and floors that are lower in elevation than the surrounding terrain. Impact craters range from small, simple, bowl-shaped depressions to large, complex, multi-ringed impact basins. Meteor Crater is a well-known example of a small impact crater on Earth.

Montes Apenninus lunar feature

Montes Apenninus are a rugged mountain range on the northern part of the Moon's near side. They are named after the Apennine Mountains in Italy. With their formation dating back about 3.9 billion years, Montes Apenninus are still relatively young.

Galen is a circular crater with a bowl-shaped interior and a sharp rim that has not undergone significant erosion. The small interior floor has a lower albedo than the surrounding walls.

Albedo ratio of reflected radiation to incident radiation

Albedo is the measure of the diffuse reflection of solar radiation out of the total solar radiation received by an astronomical body. It is dimensionless and measured on a scale from 0 to 1.

The crater is named after ancient Greek doctor Claudius Galen. [1]

Related Research Articles

Beer (lunar crater) lunar crater

Beer is a relatively small lunar impact crater located on the Mare Imbrium, to the east of the crater Timocharis. It was named after German astronomer Wilhelm W. Beer. Just to the northwest is the matching twin Feuillée.

Aratus (crater) lunar crater

Aratus is a small lunar impact crater located on the highland to the south and east of the rugged Montes Apenninus range. It is a circular, cup-shaped crater with a relatively high albedo. It was named after Greek astronomer Aratus of Soli. To the east is the Mare Serenitatis, and to the southwest is the somewhat larger crater Conon. North-northeast of Aratus is the landing site of the Apollo 15 mission, just beyond Mons Hadley Delta.

Bombelli (crater) lunar crater

Bombelli is a small lunar impact crater that is located in the highlands to the north of the Sinus Successus. It was named after Italian mathematician Raphael Bombelli. It was previously designated Apollonius T. The crater Apollonius is located to the east-southeast.

Bohnenberger (crater) impact crater

Bohnenberger is a lunar impact crater that lies near the east edge of the Mare Nectaris, in the foothills of the Montes Pyrenaeus mountain range that forms the perimeter of the mare. To the east beyond the mountains is the larger crater Colombo. The crater has a low rim along the north wall, and the floor is somewhat irregular with a ridge crossing the floor. There is a small crater along the western inner wall.

Eudoxus (lunar crater) crater on Moon

Eudoxus is a prominent lunar impact crater that lies to the east of the northern tip of the Montes Caucasus range. It is named after the Greek astronomer Eudoxus of Cnidus. It is located to the south of the prominent crater Aristoteles in the northern regions of the visible Moon. To the south is the ruined formation of Alexander, and the small crater Lamèch lies to the southwest.

Auwers (crater) lunar crater

Auwers is a small lunar impact crater that is located in the Montes Haemus mountain range at the south edge of Mare Serenitatis. It is named after German astronomer Arthur Auwers. It lies to the southeast of the crater Menelaus. The irregular rim of Auwers has a gap at the north-northwest edge, which allowed lava flows to reach the crater floor and flood the interior.

Calippus (crater) lunar impact crater

Calippus is a small lunar impact crater that is located on the eastern edge of the rugged Montes Caucasus mountain range in the northern part of the Moon. It was named after Greek astronomer Callippus of Cyzicus. It lies to the southwest of the crater remnant Alexander, to the northwest of the Mare Serenitatis.

Belyaev (crater) lunar crater

Belyaev is a lunar impact crater that is attached to the outer edge of the Mare Moscoviense, on the far side of the Moon. It is a worn formation with a small crater pair overlaying the southern rim, and several smaller craters across the relatively irregular interior.

Conon (crater) Moon crater

Conon is a small but prominent lunar impact crater that lies in the eastern foothills of the Montes Apenninus mountain range. The crater is named for the Greek astronomer Conon of Samos. Just to the west of Conon is the long mountainous ridge Mons Bradley. The nearest craters possessing an eponym are Galen, about 70 kilometres (43 mi) to the east, and Aratus, about the same distance to the northeast.

Drude (crater) lunar crater

Drude is a lunar impact crater that lies on the far side of the Moon, in the rugged Montes Cordillera range that forms the outer ring around the Mare Orientale impact basin. It is located just behind the west-southwest limb, and this area is sometimes brought into sight from Earth during favorable librations. However, even at such times, the crater is viewed from the edge and little detail can be seen.

Dollond (crater) impact 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.

Daubrée (crater) lunar crater

Daubrée is a lunar impact crater that is located to the southwest of the Mare Serenitatis, just to the west-southwest of the crater Menelaus in the Montes Haemus range. The small lunar mare Lacus Hiemalis lies along the southwest rim of Daubrée. The crater was named after French geologist Gabriel A. Daubrée. It was previously designated Menelaus S.

Elmer (crater) lunar crater

Elmer is a small lunar impact crater that is located to the south of Mare Smythii, near the eastern limb of the Moon. This crater is seen at a highly oblique angle from Earth, and the visibility is affected by libration. Elmer lies southwest of the crater Kreiken, and east-southeast of the larger Dale. This is a circular, bowl-shaped crater with an interior floor that occupies about half the total diameter.

Chant (crater) lunar crater

Chant is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon, behind the southwest limb as seen from the Earth. It lies within the southwestern part of the blanket of ejecta surrounding the Mare Orientale, beyond the Montes Cordillera mountain ring. To the west-northwest is the large walled plain Blackett. Southward is the crater Mendel.

Couder (crater) lunar crater

Couder is a small lunar impact crater that is located just behind the western limb of the Moon, in a region of the surface that is brought into view during favorable librations. It lies on the inner foothills of the Montes Cordillera, a ring-shaped mountain range that surrounds the Mare Orientale impact basin.

Eichstadt (crater) impact crater

Eichstadt is a lunar impact crater that is located in the eastern section of the Montes Cordillera range that encircles the Mare Orientale impact basin. It lies toward the southwestern limb of the Moon, and so appears oblong when viewed from the Earth due to foreshortening. Over 200 kilometers to the east of Eichstadt are the craters Darwin and Lamarck, and to the south is Krasnov.

Krasnov (crater) lunar crater

Krasnov is a lunar impact crater that is located in the southeastern part of the Montes Cordillera range, near the southwest limb of the Moon. From the Earth this crater appears foreshortened, and visibility can be affected by libration. To the north of Krasnov is the crater Eichstadt and to the southwest is Shaler, both along the edge of the Montes Cordillera mountain ring.

Chalonge (crater) lunar crater

Chalonge is a lunar impact crater that is located on the far side of the Moon. It lies to the southwest of the larger crater Lewis, in the outer skirt of ejecta that surrounds the Mare Orientale impact basin. To the southeast are the Montes Cordillera, a ring of mountains that encircle the Mare Orientale formation.

Fleming (crater) lunar crater

Fleming is a large lunar impact crater that is located on the Moon's far side, and cannot be seen from the Earth. It lies about a crater diameter to the east-northeast of Hertz, and to the northwest of Lobachevskiy.

Fryxell (crater) lunar crater

Fryxell is a small lunar impact crater that lies amidst the western inner ring of the Montes Rook. This crater is located on the Moon's far side, at the extreme edge of the region of the surface sometimes brought into view of the Earth due to libration. Even under rare conditions of favorable lighting and libration, this area would only be seen from the side amidst a rugged range of mountains. Thus this crater is best observed from orbit.

References

  1. "Galen (crater)" . Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
Ewen Whitaker British astronomer

Ewen Adair Whitaker was a British-born astronomer who specialized in lunar studies. During World War II he was engaged in quality control for the lead sheathing of hollow cables strung under the English Channel as part of the "Pipe Line Under The Ocean" Project (PLUTO) to supply gasoline to Allied military vehicles in France. After the war, he obtained a position at the Royal Greenwich Observatory working on the UV spectra of stars, but became interested in lunar studies. As a sideline, Whitaker drew and published the first accurate chart of the South Polar area of the Moon in 1954, and served as director of the Lunar Section of the British Astronomical Association.

NASA space-related agency of the United States government

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.

Ben J. Bussey is an American planetary scientist.