Gilbert (lunar crater)

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Gilbert
Gilbert crater 4178 h1.jpg
Oblique Lunar Orbiter 4 image
Coordinates 3°12′S76°00′E / 3.2°S 76.0°E / -3.2; 76.0 Coordinates: 3°12′S76°00′E / 3.2°S 76.0°E / -3.2; 76.0
Diameter 107 km
Depth Unknown
Colongitude 285° at sunrise
Eponym Grove K. Gilbert
William Gilbert
Gilbert, from Apollo 16. Note that at this high sun angle, the eroded rim of the crater is barely distinguishable. Geissler is the small but prominent crater above center. Gilbert crater AS16-M-0113.jpg
Gilbert, from Apollo 16. Note that at this high sun angle, the eroded rim of the crater is barely distinguishable. Geissler is the small but prominent crater above center.

Gilbert is a large lunar impact crater that lies near the eastern limb of the Moon. Due to its location this feature appears foreshortened when viewed from the Earth, limiting the amount of detail that can be observed. The crater lies to the northwest of the similar-sized walled plain Kästner, to the west of the Mare Smythii.

Several satellite craters in the vicinity have since been given names by the IAU. Nearly attached to the north-northeastern rim of Gilbert are the craters Weierstrass (Gilbert N) and Van Vleck (Gilbert M), two somewhat similar formations. In the northeastern part of Gilbert's interior floor is the small, bowl-shaped Geissler (Gilbert D).

Gilbert is a somewhat degraded walled plain, with an outer rim that has been somewhat reshaped by nearby impacts. The southern rim has almost completely disintegrated, and forms a rolling surface that flows toward the south as an extended depression. The crater pair of Weierstrass and Van Vleck have formed an indented rim along the northeast face, while the northwest rim is overlain by Gilbert S. The interior floor is relatively level with some low ridges running down the center toward the southern end.

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 Gilbert.

GilbertLatitudeLongitudeDiameter
J4.3° S72.7° E38 km
K5.5° S73.2° E38 km
P0.9° S75.6° E18 km
S1.9° S75.6° E19 km
V1.5° S79.9° E15 km
W1.1° S78.9° E19 km

The following craters have been renamed by the IAU.

Related Research Articles

References

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.

United States Geological Survey Scientific agency of the United States government

The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The USGS is a fact-finding research organization with no regulatory responsibility.